Aisling Coughlan Studied at NCAD and is a Dublin based painter who works is mainly autobiographical. Her work includes exploration of impermanence through her mother’s decline. This work included painting, video work and artist books. Recent work sees her moving towards a more illustrative language to describe recurring items that are in dreams.  This work started with small works which crescendos to larger scale works. This project also included artist book limited editions.

She has exhibited at annual exhibition in the RHA and RUA as well as being shortlisted and exhibited in the National Gallery of Ireland as part of the Zurich Portrait Prize in 2022. In 2025 she was longlisted for the Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize.

Aisling Coughlan has completed several commissions for Fox Veterinarian Clinic and Gaelscoil Bhaile Munna and is in private collections in Ireland, England, Canada and Sweden.

Aisling Coughlan

 EDUCATION

Diploma in Art and Design, National College of Art and Design. June 2009

Foundation Painting 1 and 2, Royal Hibernian Academy School. June 2021

Bachelor of Fine Art Painting, National College of Art and Design. June 2025

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025 NCAD Works, Graduate Show 2025, NCAD Granary Building, Dublin 8

2024 Threads of Change NCAD, IMMA Studio 8 & 9. 

2022 Zurich Portrait Prize, National Gallery, Dublin and Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Donegal.  

2021 191st Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin.                

2020 139th Annual Exhibition, Royal Ulster Academy of Art, Belfast.           

2019 Una Sealy Workshop Exhibition, The Arthouse, Stradbally, Laois.                      

2019 Incognito Exhibition, Lavin Gallery, Cork and Solomon Gallery, Dublin.                               

2018 Incognito Exhibition, Solomon Gallery, Dublin.                               

2015 Group Exhibition, Inishbofin Arts Festival, Inishbofin, Galway. 

2013 Group Exhibition, Inishbofin Arts Festival, Inishbofin, Galway. 

TELEVISION

2019 Portrait Artist of the Year. Sky Arts, Episode 2. 

PUBLICATION

McElligott, D., & National Gallery of Ireland, i. b. (2022). Zurich® portrait prize 2022: Zurich® young portrait prize 2022. National Gallery of Ireland.

Coughlan, Aisling. Dream Fragments (2025). Limited Edition Artist’s Book.

COMMISSIONS

2021 Gaelscoil Bhaile Munna, Coultry Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11