The Vitreum – Tom Murphy: A Retrospective

Tom Murphy: A Retrospective
18 June – 8 July 2010
The Vitreum Gallery is delighted to welcome Tom Murphy. It is impossible to pass through Liverpool without bumping into one of his eminent sculptures. Tom is one of the most prolific portrait sculptors in the United Kingdom, with over twenty-nine sculptures, mostly in Liverpool, but with sculptures in Manchester and Scotland.

With his client list including Liverpool City and Knowsley Councils, both Liverpool and John Moore’s Universities, both Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs, Littlewoods, the North West Development Agency, Liverpool Airport (Peel Holdings) and Merseytravel Rail track it is hard to think of an artist more embedded in the institutions of Liverpool.

Tom’s artistic talent was first noticed in painting when he won the first prize in the BBC North West Art 88 competition out of 2000 contributors.

Between 1988 and 1996 Tom held many exhibitions and carried out some prestigious portrait commissions. He was short listed for the John Player Portrait Competition, held in the national Portrait Gallery.

Prior to becoming a professional artist he qualified as a teacher and used his teaching and art skills as a Day Service Officer. He also lectured at Liverpool Community College before becoming self sufficient as a sculptor in 1996.

In this period Tom developed his sculpting skills and created a 7″6″sculpture of John Lennon, which Later would be cast in bronze for Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

In 1996 he won his fist major sculpting commission when he was selected to sculpt two bronze statues of Sir John and Cecil Moores for Littlewoods.

Since then Tom has become one of the most prolific portrait sculptors in the United Kingdom, with over twenty-nine sculptures, mostly in Liverpool, but with sculptures in Manchester and Scotland.

He loves Liverpool, its people, and is dedication to his work.

Tom Murphy’s commissions include:

Ken Dodd and Bessie Braddock
Lime Street Station, Unveiled by Ken Dodd

‘Road peace’ Traffic Memorial.
Commissioned by Liverpool City Council for St John’s Gardens, Liverpool.

Harold Wilson
Compass Square, Huyton. Unveiled by Tony and Cheri Blair

John Lennon
Liverpool John Lennon Airport Unveiled By Her Majesty the Queen and Yoko Ono

Billy Fury
Museum of Liverpool Life Albert Dock

The Moores Brothers
Two monumental size sculptures, Church Street, unveiled by their sons Mr. Cecil and John Moore’s CBE

The Blitz Memorial
Liverpool Parish Church Unveiled by His Royal Highness s The Duke of Edinburgh

Bill Shankly
The Liverpool Football Club, unveiled by John Toshach in the presence of his wife Nessie.

Dixie Dean
Everton FC, unveiled by his son and Bill Kenwright