Maurice Canning Wilks

Maurice C. Wilks was born in Belfast 1911, the son of a linen designer. He received his academic education at Malone Public School, Belfast and at Belfast College of Art. Wilks was only nineteen when he won the Dunville scholarship. He later exhibitied at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin and also at the Oireachtas. In his early years as an artist he resided in Cushendun, in the Glens of Antrim. He has sketched and painted all over Ireland, but he especially liked the atmosphere of Donegal and the West of Ireland. 

He exhibited in London, Montreal, Boston and Toronto and his paintings have been shown at the Royal Academy, London. He had several one man exhibitions at the Victor Waddington Galleries, Dublin, and in more recent years at the Walker Gallery, Coleraine; The Malone Gallery, Belfast; The Bell Gallery, Belfast and at the Oriel Gallery, Dublin. In his later years he had a summer studio at Sutton, Co. Dublin which enabled him to paint many scenes of Dublin and Dublin Bay.  He is represented an many public and private collections including the Ulster Museum, Armagh County Museum and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Maurice Wilks died in 1984.