John Byrne (1940-2023) was born in Paisley, Scotland. He was a revered artist, playwright and theatre designer. He studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1958 to 1963.
Byrne used a variety of styles and techniques, but was known for his fluid draughtsmanship and his ability to underscore a raw directness with typical humour. Byrne started using the facilities at the Glasgow Print Studio in the 1970s, publishing a significant and diverse body of work in print. In 1994 he held his first exhibition of prints and paintings at Glasgow Print Studio in conjunction with the publication of a series of lithographs. A retrospective exhibition of his works in print was held at Glasgow Print Studio in 2020, to celebrate his 80th anniversary. The works showcased had all been produced at Glasgow Print Studio since the early 1990s, and included a selection of new and exclusive hand-coloured screenprints created at the studio the same year.
Byrne produced a series of paintings and prints under the guise of “Patrick”, which he claimed was the name of his father.
His work is held in major collections across Scotland and abroad, with several of his paintings hanging in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, the Museum of Modern Art and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.
