NI Artist Brings ‘Silent Testimony’ to London’s National Portrait Gallery

Today, Wednesday 24th April, globally renowned Belfast-born artist, Colin Davidson, announced the opening of his powerful display of portraiture, ‘Silent Testimony’, at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

‘Silent Testimony’ has previously captivated audiences at prestigious venues including the Ulster Museum (Belfast), Stormont’s Parliament Buildings, the Irish Arts Center in New York, and the United Nations HQ in New York. Now, visitors to the National Portrait Gallery will have the opportunity to experience this moving collection for the first time in London.

Davidson, reflecting on the display, said: “It is a true privilege to see ‘Silent Testimony’ installed at the National Portrait Gallery, on one of its most important outings. This exhibition is not only my personal response to the lived legacy of the Troubles but a comment on the fallout of all conflict.

“‘Silent Testimony’ is not just about Northern Ireland but about conflict more generally and the people who are left behind in the wake of war. In making this exhibition, I wanted to explore the legacy of our past and how it still impacts people today, not by seeking out answers but rather by posing questions.

“Bringing this collection to the National Portrait Gallery offers people a chance to engage with the human stories behind the conflict, reflecting on its impact and the resilience of those who have endured it.”

Featuring 18 poignant portraits of people who suffered loss through the Troubles, ‘Silent Testimony’ is set to run from Monday 22nd April 2024 to Sunday 23rd February 2025.

Each of Colin Davidson’s large-scale portraits, created between 2014 and 2015, serve as a silent testimony to the individual experiences of loss during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. From the trauma of loss and injury, these portraits offer a deeply personal insight into the human cost of conflict and its ongoing reverberations.

Celebrated for his large-scale portrait paintings, Colin’s diverse subjects have included Her Majesty The Late Queen Elizabeth II, President Bill Clinton, Brad Pitt and Ed Sheeran.

Colin’s gratitude extends to his 18 sitters and their families for entrusting him with their stories, as well as to WAVE Trauma and National Museums NI for their valuable support.

A few of the portraits from ‘Silent Testimony’ can be seen below with information on each sitter:

Paul Reilly: Paul Reilly’s daughter, Joanne (20), was killed on 12th April 1989 in Warrenpoint. Joanne had been working in a builder’s yard when a no-warning bomb exploded beside her office. She was killed instantly. The sitting for this portrait took place in Joanne’s bedroom, kept exactly as she had left it that day. The clock on the wall is stopped at 9.58am, the time of her death.

Johnnie Proctor: Johnnie Proctor’s father, John (25), was killed on 14th September 1981. Johnnie was born the day before, and his father was visiting the Mid Ulster Hospital in Magherafelt to see his wife and new-born son when he was shot dead in the hospital car park. Johnnie was named after his father.

Virtue Dixon: Virtue Dixon’s daughter, Ruth (24), died in a bomb attack in Ballykelly on 6th December 1982. Ruth was celebrating her birthday in the Droppin Well public house when there was an explosion, causing the roof to collapse. Sixteen other people lost their lives in the attack. A witness tells of hearing the DJ play ‘Happy Birthday’ for Ruth at the moment the bomb exploded. Ruth’s son, who was six at the time of her death, died suddenly when he was aged thirty.