Sought after by stars: NI artist whose work adorned walls of famous passes away
THE death has been announced of the acclaimed Bangor-born artist Charlie Whisker.
Mr Whisker had been living in a nursing home after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 63.
Born in Bangor, Co Down, in 1949, Mr Whisker attended Belfast College of Art and taught at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in the 1980s.
He later lived in Los Angeles where he worked with Bob Dylan and other well-known artists as a video director.
His work has been exhibited widely and is in the collections of the Ulster Museum. Several of his paintings were purchased by members of U2, the film directors Steven Soderberg and John Boorman, and Slane Castle owner Lord Henry Mountcharles.
Fellow artist Mick O’dea describedmrwhiskerasa“gentleman” and a “true original”.
Mr Whisker’s former partner, Julia Kelly, spoke to the Belfast Telegraph in 2019 about their life together.
She recalled the shooting of Michaelbrowninbelfastduring Mr Whisker’s time at Belfast College, and how the artist came across the incident.
“While he was at the art college, Charlie was walking home on July 11 after he’d been at a bonfire,” Ms Kelly said.
“He had walked through Pigeon Wood and he came across a boy who he later recognised as Michael Brown, the brother of a friend of his and a student where he was teaching.
“The boy had been shot in the head. Charlie sat with him and the boy died in his arms and then the people came back to see if he was dead and Charlie was able to identify them.”
Mr Whisker had to appear as a witness in the trial of the killers and was warned by loyalist paramilitaries soon afterwards toleavenorthernireland.
“It hit him really hard and just the trauma of having somebody die in your arms. A lot of his paintings describe idyllic scenes, like a picnic where everything has been suddenly been abandoned, and it’s describing that loss of innocence,” explained Ms Kelly.
After years in London teaching art Mr Whisker moved to Dublin before relocating to California for a time.
He is survived by his three children, Domino, India and Ruby Mae.
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