143. Sally Muir - Barry

2026
Oil on Board
15 x 10 x 1.5 cm

Sally Muir is a painter and printmaker whose practice is best known for its distinctive depictions of dogs, though her work extends beyond animal portraiture into broader explorations of character, observation, and human connection. Combining painterly sensitivity with wit and psychological insight, her works capture both the individuality and emotional presence of her subjects.

Working across painting and printmaking, Muir brings a directness and immediacy to her imagery, balancing formal precision with warmth and humour. While dogs remain a recurring focus, her practice reflects a broader interest in portraiture, companionship, and the expressive possibilities of figurative representation.

She completed a BA in Fine Art at Bath School of Art and Design in 2003.

Selected exhibitions include Galgos at Cricket Fine Art (2024); the Royal West of England Academy Work on Paper exhibition, Bristol (2024); the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair (2023); and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London (2022). She was also a finalist for the John Ruskin Prize in 2023.

Her awards include the Jackson’s Open Art Competition Planographic Award (2025); South West Artist of the Year at the National Open Art Competition (2017); the Bath Society of Artists Portrait Prize (2016); the Holburne Museum Portrait Prize (2010); and the Benton Huxley Purchase Prize at the ING Discerning Eye.

Her work is held in the collections of the Holburne Museum, Bath, and the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Collection.