Artist Biography

Eamonn Higgins is a Northern Ireland-based sculptor, artist blacksmith, and founder of Hot Milk Forge Blacksmithing School. For over twenty years he has developed a distinctive sculptural practice that spans large-scale public commissions, artist residencies, and gallery exhibitions. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in both public and private collections, establishing him as one of Ireland's leading contemporary sculptors.

Working primarily in forged and fabricated steel, Higgins explores the balance between technical mastery and artistic expression. His sculptures are recognised for their powerful forms, refined craftsmanship, and emotive presence, drawing inspiration from both the human figure and the natural world.

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Artistic Statement

My practice is driven by an ongoing fascination with technical experimentation and material possibility. While my work often references animal and human forms, I consider myself fundamentally an abstract artist working within a figurative framework.

These familiar forms provide a muscular canvas through which I explore movement, emotion, and the human condition. Through the abstraction of line, mass, and surface, I seek to create works that invite intimacy—drawing viewers into a personal visual language while encouraging reflection on our shared experiences.

Ultimately, my sculptures aim to preserve and celebrate our sense of self-worth, offering moments of connection through the universal truths of being human.

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Public Collections

• Arts Council of Northern Ireland

• Craigavon Borough Council

• Ballymena Borough Council

• Lincoln City Council

• Sustainable Transport Network

• PEACE III and PEACE IV Programme

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Selected Career Highlights

• Selected Artist, Bord Bia Bloom with Kildare Gallery (2026)

• Commissioned Artist, Queen's University Belfast Chaplaincy (2026)

• Selected artist for Sculpture in Context, Dublin (2024)

• Exhibitor at Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition at Ulster Museum(2023)

• Exhibiting artist with Gormleys Fine Art for multiple editions of Art in the Garden and Art & Soul (2015-26)

• Artist in Residence, ASO Iron Studios, Kumamoto, Japan (2019)

• Exhibitions in London, Dublin, Colorado, and throughout Ireland

• Solo exhibitions at Clotworthy Arts Centre and Braid Arts Centre

• Artist in Residence, Craft NI "Making It" Programme with Ulster University (2012–2014)

• Artist in Residence, Art in the Wetlands (2005–2012)

• Artist in Residence, Lincoln Gateway Project (2003–2004)