Biography

Lifeline


Born in 1974, Brussels, Belgium, Legrand moved to France in 1980 starting Academic Drawing studies in Toulouse in 1988 followed by a foundation year in Fine arts and Painting in Beaux Arts.
In 1992 she moved to Ireland, which subsequently became her home base, to study painting at the Crawford Art College in Cork.
In 1999, she founded “the Laboratory of Living Arts”, a project based on the accountability of an artist to culture and community, using this name to identify her most intimate work.
In 2000, she moved to Barcelona where she focussed on murals and large scale painting, collaborating with local and international artists. Legrand’s work opened to vibrant colours and large 2 dimensional compositions.
She travelled to Belgium in 2005 to complete a Masters in Fine Arts specialising in Spatial Arts (artwork handling, display and exhibition) and Bookbinding. 
Returning to Ireland in 2008, she continued her studies in Art history in UCC while working as a Bookbinder with Hubert Bookbindery in Cork.
Invited to Berlin in 2009, she opened a small gallery and studios in Kreuzberg under the name of the Grune Hund Studios, where she taught Bookbinding for artists as a way to present their work as well as self publish.
Invited to Edinburgh in 2010, she joined the glorious but short lived Armchair studios for 2 years and created an installation for the magnificent George IV Library, while lecturing in Art History and teaching Bookbinding.
Returning permanently to Ireland in 2012 and facing the increasing rarity of affordable studio spaces for artists, she trained in Carpentry and Building construction as well as gained the Administrative skills necessary to create and run the Learning Garden School as well as her own studio space, after sourcing and renovating a local derelict building with her partner, in Killimor, Co. Galway in 2019.
The Learning Garden opened in 2022 as a school for Adult Education, aiming to introduce and make more accessible Art, Art History, Bookbinding and Textile Arts to rural areas.

Selected Acquisitions & Commissions

  • 2008 - Glen Hansard commissioned the painting "Silencio" for his album "Rhythm and repose
  • 1999 - Drawing “Two boys” acquired by Desmond Guinness's private Collection
  • 1998 - PJ Lynch acquired “The Warrior” future inspiration for his work “Mountains to sea” in 2010
  • 1996 - The “Black Armour” sculpture was acquired for the Dahan Collection (Canada)

Selected Solo Exhibitions

  • 2011 - “Natural & Urban Worlds”, Painting & Installation, George IV Library, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • 2009 - “New Works”, Painting & Installation, Grune Hund Studios, Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
  • 2007 - “PRÉOccupations artistiques” Installation, Intervention & Mural, E.R.G, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2006 - “I will act as what I do makes a difference”, Performance, Paris Metro, France
  • 2004 - “Survive your Self” part I, Street Art, Fem Art 2004 Festival, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2004 - “Winter gifts 04”, Installations, Borne, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2003 - “Winter gifts 03”, Installations, Borne, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2003 - “Surrender”, Performance, Temple bar/city centre, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1999 - “New Works”, Painting, Juice, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1999 - “Mapping the Labyrinth”, Performance, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1998 - “Armours and Labyrinths”, Painting & Drawing, Chooseday Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1997 - “The Laboratory of Living Arts”, Painting, The Front Lounge, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1996 - “Cartes et Labyrinthes”, Painting & Drawing, Galerie Pochodzenie, Toulouse, France

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2010 - “Backwater 2010”, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland
  • 2009 - “Rebirth”, Newtownbarry House Gallery, Bunclody, Ireland
  • 2009 - Open Studio, Backwater Artists Group, Cork, Ireland
  • 2008 - “FAF - The Sensational and the Authentic”, Showcase Evening at The Lab, Dublin, Ireland
  • 2008 - “Regards de femme”, Maison des Cultures de Saint Gilles, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2007 - “24 hours non-stop art”, Tigh Filí, Cork
  • 2007 - Graduation show, E.R.G, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2005 - “Caravan Burlesca”, Galerie du moment, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2005 - "ONG/Ovejas Negras is dead", Barcelona, Spain
  • 2005 - Guest Artist, Cork 2005 Capital of Culture, Cork
  • 2004 - “Fem Art 2004”, Galeria Ca La Dona, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2004 - “Homage to R.H”, Performance art, A.R.C.O, Madrid, Spain
  • 2004 - “Exposició Collectiva”, Galeria Tau, Tarragona, Spain
  • 2004 -  Group Show, Go Gallery, Amsterdam, Holland
  • 2004 - “Consciencia Social”, Subaquatica Galleria, Madrid, Spain
  • 2004 - "Art Urbà - 8 de marzo”, Curator, Series of Murals of Female Street Artists, Barrio Gotico, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2003 - “Domini public”, Calafell Galleria, Spain
  • 2001 - Group Show, La Triple Jornada, Madrid/Barcelona, Spain
  • 2001 - “The WSA Project” Performance with artist “With Title”, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2000 - “Gain+: 3 pieces about love, respect and pride”, Visual Art in outdoor spaces, Fringe festival, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1999 - “Tango”, Eamon Doran Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1998 - “Industria Art 98”, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1998 - Group Show, Chooseday Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
  • 1997 - Group Show, Galerie Pochodzenie, Toulouse, France 
  • 1996 - Group Show, Galerie Pochodzenie, Toulouse, France 
  • 1995 - Group Show, Galerie Pochodzenie, Toulouse, France 

Publications, Press, Documentaries & Interviews (Public Art)

  • 2008 - “BOMB IT”: The Global Graffiti (Documentary) – Directed by John Reiss
  • 2006 - "GRAFFITI WOMEN" Graffiti Woman celebrates the rise of female graffiti and street artists. (Publication) Nicholas Ganz, Thames & Hudson
  • 2005 - "Barcelona 1000 Graffitis" (Publication) Rosa Puig Torres, Ed.G-Gili
  • 2005 - Galerie du Moment Archives, Caravana Burlesca (Interview)
  • 2005 - Next: A primer on Urbain Paintings (Documentary) – Directed by Pablo Aravena
  • 2005 - "Graff Bomb" (Press) Numéro 25, Mars/Avril, France 
  • 2004 - "GRAFFITI WORLD" Street art from 5 continents, (Publication) Nicholas Ganz, Thames & Hudson
  • 2004 - "Barri" Ojor de Brujo (Documentary/Interview)
  • 2004 - Flaix TV, Documentary on the event ”Art Urba – 8 de marzo”
  • 2004 - "La Conscience de l'Art, ou l'Art de la conscience" (Publication)
  • 2004 - "LOOK-LOOK" (Press) Issue 02, Canada/US
  • 2004 - "BCN [inside]" (Press) Numero 3, Spain

Studios

  • 2022/present - The Learning Garden, Killimor, Ireland
  • 2012/22 - Private studios, Cork & Dublin, Ireland
  • 2010/12 - Armchair’s Studios, Meadows, Edinburgh, Scotland 
  • 2009/10 - Grune Hund Studios, Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
  • 2008/09 - Backwaters Studios, Cork, Ireland
  • 2005/07 - St Michael studio, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2003/04 - Ovejas Negras Studios, Barcelona, Spain
  • 1997/00 - Arthur's Studio, Temple Bar, Dublin , Ireland

Teaching/Lectures For Adult Education

  • 2022/present - Director, Teacher, Bookbinding, Painting, Drawing, Textile Arts -  The Learning Garden, Killimor, Ireland
  • 2010/19 - Art History Lecturer, Bookbinding teacher for Edinburgh County Council/Edinburgh, Scotland, Marino College/Dublin and St John’s College/Cork, Ireland
  • 2016 - Workshop facilitator, Glucksman Gallery, Cork, Ireland
  • 2014/16 - Workshop facilitator Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Ireland
  • 2012/15 - Creation & Management of Workshops & Studio spaces, Bookbinding, Painting Teacher, Kennedy's Art & Sons, Dublin, Ireland
  • 2009/10 - Director, Bookbinding, Painting Teacher, Grune Hund Studios, Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
  • 2009 - Workshop facilitator, Glucksman Gallery, Cork, Ireland
  • 1996/09 - Director, Life Drawing, Painting Teacher, Temple Bar Life Drawing, Dublin, Ireland
  • 2005 - “Murals as a part of Art in the Community”, Lecturer, Cork 2005 Capital of Culture, Cork, Ireland
  • 2003/05 - Painting, Drawing Teacher, Centro Cultural i Civico Matas I Ramis, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2000 - Primary school teacher's assistant, arts and craft, Lucan Multi-denominational School, Lucan, Ireland

Education

  • 2019/20 - Frontline Skills for Administration - QQI Level 5, Cork College of Commerce, Cork
  • 2017/18 - Carpentry / Building Construction - QQI Level 5, CSN, Cork
  • 2016 - Woodwork skills, St John’s College, Cork
  • 2014 - DCEB - Start Your Own Business/Certificate, National College of Ireland, IFSC, Dublin 1
  • 2008 - European Art History Certificate (Honours), UCC, Cork
  • 2007 - “Mediation and Conflicts, New Artistic Disciplines” (seminar), Centre Culturel J.Frank, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2006 - “Contextual Art, Ecology and Politics in Contemporary Art” (seminars), ISELP, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2006 - ‘Festival des Libertés’ (seminar), Urban Art & Contemporary Youth Subcultures, Pathé Cultural centre, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2005/07 - M.A. Fine Art / Bookbinding (Honours), E.R.G - St Luc, Bruxelles, Belgium
  • 2003 - “Art Education, Social changes, Cultural diversity” (seminar), Fundació «la Caixa» Barcelona, Spain
  • 2001/02 - Sculpture and Ceramic Studies, Escuela Da Vinci, Barcelona, Spain
  • 1998/99 - Certificate in Creative Multimedia Production Skills & Internet Broadcasting, Dublin Institute of Commerce, Dublin
  • 1992/95 - Studies in Fine Art, Painting and Mixed Media, Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork
  • 1991/92 - Fine Arts Foundation Year, Beaux Arts de Toulouse, France
  • 1988 /92 - Life Drawing and Still Life Studies, Academie Peltriaux, Toulouse, France