About
Linda was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1966 and studied Sculpture at the National College of Art & Design where she developed her unique ‘open filigree’ style of casting bronze.
Her innovative sculptures challenged the traditional conception of bronze figures and she received immediate acclaim from critics and interest from collectors who rushed to buy her work.
Her trademark style typically incorporated natural elements to create images composed into flowing shapes which echo the rhythms of fire, water and wind.
Her pieces often have the feeling of being accidental and transitory. The physical reality of metal sculpture is that it is heavy and static. Brunker works against this so that the material seems light and fluid, creating fragile images that defy logic.
She was quickly drawn to public art and in her 30 year career she has made over 40 public art sculptures which are located around the world.
Among them are ‘The Wishing Hand’, 2000 at the Ministry of Education in Ireland,
‘Voyager 1’, 2003 at Laguna Beach, California. USA and ‘Plant Form Head – Eternal Spring’, 2014 in Suzhou, China.
She enjoys the challenge of creating site specific sculptures that resonate with their surroundings and have significance for the people that engage with them.
In 2005 she moved her studio to Southern California and opened ‘Gallery 13’ in West Hollywood, Los Angeles giving collectors, designers and the public direct access to her work.
In 2013 her sculpture titled ‘Gaia’s Garden’ was chosen to represent Ireland in an exhibition called ‘Dialogue with Emperor Qin - Contemporary Sculptures from Europe and China’.
As it toured art museums on both continents it triggered considerable interest from Asian investors who continue to commission her to make large scale public art pieces in South East China. The largest to date is ‘Gaia’s Garden’ which is 25 meters tall and is fabricated from stainless steel, bronze and copper. It is an icon for the current interest in restoring the damaged natural environment. Her work in China has inspired her recent use of bold colors.
Brunker strives to make artworks that have more than physical form. She believes there is energy in everything and that artworks can develop an unseen energy that is all their own which can uplift and move the viewer.
At her first exhibition in 1988 a prominent critic noted this aspect when she said:
“the underlying idea, the artist's intention, and the medium used to express that intention and idea, coalesce so closely and with such crucial balance that an ardent energy is released, breathing life into inert matter.''
Born Dublin, Ireland, 13th March 1966
Education:
National College of Art & Design, Dublin, Ireland. 1983 - 1988
1988 - Degree in fine art, Sculpture. 1987 - Diploma in fine art, Sculpture
Large and Public commissions:
'Splash', Bettystown, Ireland. 2022
'Spirit of Speed', Savoy Automobile Museum, Georgia, USA. 2021.
'Fernando', Shanghai, China, 2021
'Soar', Dongsha Lake, Suzhou, China, 16 ft high, Stainless steel, 2021
‘Song of Earth and Air’, Dushu Lake, China, 10 ft high, stainless steel, 2019,
‘Feathers’, Country Garden, Suzhou, China,3 elements @ 8 ft high, bronze, 2019
‘Gaia’s Garden’, Yangcheng Lake Peninsula, China, 82 ft high, stainless steel, bronze, copper. 2018
‘Lovers of life’, Yangcheng Lake Peninsula, China, 50 ft high, stainless steel, 2018
‘Messengers 2’, Yangcheng Lake Peninsula, China, 33 ft high, stainless steel, 2018
‘Dove’, Yangcheng Lake Peninsula, China, 50 ft high, stainless steel, 2018
‘Dancer’, Yangcheng Lake Peninsula, China, 50 ft high, stainless steel, 2018
‘Community Butterfly’, Suzhou Center, Suzhou, 15 ft high, China, stainless steel, 2017
‘Listener’, Suzhou Center, Suzhou, China 28 ft high, stainless steel, 2017
‘Floating Silk’, CIFI Lake Mansion, Suzhou, China, 10 ft high, bronze, 2016
‘Game of Sea and Stars’, CIFI Lake Mansion, Suzhou, 15 ft high, China. Bronze, 2016
‘Messengers’, Tai lake, Suzhou, China, 35 ft high, stainless steel, 2016
‘Plant Form Head’, Vanke Midtown, Suzhou, China. 30 ft high, bronze, 2013.
‘Sink or Swim - Hurricane Sandy Memorial Sculpture’, New York. USA, 6 ft high, bronze & tone. 2013.
‘Earth, Water, Air’, Newport Beach, CA. USA. 10 ft high, bronze. 2007.
‘Cradle’, Pact Woodland Sculpture Project, Dublin. Ireland. Commissioned by PACT. 8 ft high, bronze. 2006.
‘The People’s Council’, City Hall, Laguna Beach. CA. USA. Granite, bronze. 2005.
‘Aurora’, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Bronze. 2005.
‘Samhain – (winter)’, St. Bridgit’s Meditation Garden, County Galway, Ireland. Bronze. 2004.
‘Aphrodite Rising’, San Francisco, USA. Bronze. 2004.
‘Groundling’, Boston, commissioned by Daniel Fine Art. USA. Bronze, 2004.
‘Voyager 2’, Laytown Strand, commissioned by Meath County Council, Ireland, bronze & stone. 2004.
‘Voyager 1’, Treasure Island Park, commissioned by Laguna Beach City, California. USA. Bronze & stone. 2003.
‘The Healing Tree’, Virginia Community Services Center, Co Cavan. Ireland. Bronze, 15ft high, 2002.
‘The Wishing Hand’, Ministry of Education, Marlborough Square, Dublin. Ireland. Bronze, 6 ft high, 2001.
‘Aqua’, Sea Castle, Santa Monica Beach, California, USA, bronze, 7 ft high, 2001.
‘Two For Joy’, Bray Police Station, Wicklow, Ireland. Bronze, granite & bronze, 2001.
‘The Ocean Meets The Land’, Hawaii, commissioned by Daniel Fine Art. 2000.
‘Meeting Point’, Scotch Quay, Waterford, Ireland. Commissioned by Frisby Construction, 2000.
‘Connect’. Commissioned for the Telecom Ireland, London Office. United Kingdom. Copper, 1999.
‘Continuum’, St. Helen's Hotel, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, Ireland, bronze, 15 ft high. 1999.
‘Overflow’, Pembroke Place, Grand Canal Street, Dublin, Ireland, bronze, 12 ft high, 1998.
‘Orchard Gate’, Athy, commissioned by Athy Urban District Council, Ireland. Granite, 1997.
‘Signal’, RTE (National Broadcasting Center), Dublin, Ireland, bronze & stone, 1996.
‘Source’ RTE, (National Broadcasting Center) Dublin, Ireland, bronze, 1996.
‘Flow’, Lennox Hill Medical Imaging Center, New York, bronze, 1996.
‘Lake Angel’, Lough Owel, Mullingar, Ireland. bronze & stainless steel, 25 ft high, 1993.
‘Awakening 2’, Rue Montroyer, Brussels, Belgium. Commissioned by Irish Life Assurance plc, bronze, 1991.
‘Awakening 1’, Earlsfort Center, Dublin, Ireland. 1990.
Solo Exhibitions:
2016 ‘Seen & Unseen’. Shaanxi Provence Art Museum, Xian, China
2016 ‘Seen & Unseen’. Suzhou Art Museum, Suzhou, China
2007/08 ‘Earth, Water, Air’, Gallery 13, Los Angeles.
1997 AIB, Park Avenue, New York.
1996 Solomon Gallery, Dublin, Ireland.
Department of the Arts, Culture and Gaeltaght, Dublin, Ireland.
1995 AIHS, Fifth Avenue, New York.
AIB, Park Avenue, New York.
1994 Solomon Gallery, Dublin, Ireland.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Linda has participated in many group exhibitions from 1988 – 2019 in EU, USA and China, including.
2017 ‘Jinji Lake Bienale’, Suzhou, China
2015 ‘The Art Of A Nation’, Mall Galleries, London, UK.
2011 - 2017 ‘Dialogue With Emperor Qin’, touring Museums in China and Europe.
2009 ‘Botanica - Images of Nature Up Close’. Gallery 13 – Irish Fine Art, Los Angeles.
2008 ‘Spirit of Nature. Irish Art inspired by Nature and Landscape’. Gallery 13 – Irish Fine Art, Los Angeles.
‘Garden Sculpture’ – International garden sculpture, Gormleys Fine Art, Brackenstown House, Dublin.
2000 ‘AIB Art’ an exhibition of contemporary Irish figurative art, Poznan Castle, Poland.
1999 ‘Coda 999’, Dublin Castle, Ireland.
1996 ‘Women Sculptors’, Solomon Gallery, Dublin. Ireland. The best of British and Irish Sculptors.
1993 ‘Little Sculpture’, Solomon Gallery, Dublin, Ireland.
1991 ‘Art Inc.’, Art from corporate collections, Guinness Hop Store, Dublin, Ireland.
1990 ‘Springboard’, Irish Life Exhibition Center, Dublin. Ireland.
1988 ‘Sculpture in Context’, Fernhill Gardens, Sandyford, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
‘Sculpture Open’, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin, Ireland.
‘G.P.A. Emerging Artists’, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin. Ireland. The Best of New Irish Art.
Selected Press Coverage
‘Gaia’s Garden’, Mark Ewart, Irish Arts Review, Autumn 2017
‘Qu Art’, Boss magazine, 2014. China.
‘Into the world of Outdoor sculpture’, Art Business News, USA. March 2009
‘Bronze is Beautiful’, Home Interiors & Living Magazine, June 2005
‘Naturally Sculpted’, Irish Homes Magazine, May 2005
‘Brunker's Original’, Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times Magazine, 17th March 2001
‘A Future Created Through The Past’, Sunday Independent, 16th January 2000
‘Upfront And Meaningful', Irish Independent, 15th December, 1998
AIB Art. 1998, ‘Pembroke Statue A Watermark For Private Developers’, Sunday Tribune, 14th September, 1997
‘Critics Choice’, Tribune Magazine, 10th November 1996
'From Little Acorns', Aidan Dunne, Social & Personal Magazine, May 1995
‘Big Apple Brunker’, Tribune Magazine, 30th April 1995
‘Linda Bunker Solomon Gallery’, Tribune Magazine, 30th October 1994
‘Linda’s Art Will Bring Irish Life To Brussels’, The Sunday Press, 2nd June 1991
’ An Irishman's Diary’, Kevin Myers, Irish Times, 10th July, 1989
‘Bronze By Gold, The work of Irish Women Sculptors’, Dorothy Walker. Irish Arts Review, 1989/1990
‘Young Work Will Grow In Value’, Dorothy Walker, Irish Independent, 6th December, 1988
Other Information:
Established ‘Gallery13-Irish Fine Art’, Los Angeles 2007.
‘Who’s Who – Ireland’s Influential 1,000’, 2007.
Awarded USA E1 Permanent Residency Card as ‘Person of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts’. 2004.
Member of Board of the Sculptor’s Society of Ireland 1988-91.
Lectured ‘Bronze Casting Techniques & Practice’, National College of Art & Design, Dublin, Ireland, 1992 – 1994.
Museum Collections
Shaanxi Provence Art Museum, Xian, China
Suzhou Art Museum, Suzhou, China
National Self Portrait Collection. Ireland