Mollie Douthit

Originally from North Dakota, Douthit has lived and worked for many years in Ireland and is now based in Sweden. She holds a BFA from the University of North Dakota; Post Baccalaureate from Tufts University, Boston; and MFA from Burren College of Art, NUIG. Major achievements include the 2013 RHA Hennessy Craig award, a solo exhibition at the North Dakota Museum of Art, twice awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant, a 2023 Arts Council Bursary, and 2022 acquisition of three works by the Arts Council, Ireland and Crawford Gallery, Cork.

Additionally, her work has been featured in Hyperallergic, The Irish Times, Sunday Times Culture, New American Paintings, and Ilikeyourworkpodcast. Forth coming Douthit will be the featured artist in henandoah literary magazine. Her work has been supported by residencies at the Tony O’Malley residence, Jentel Foundation for the Arts, Tyrone Guthrie Center, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, and Vermont Studio Center.

Douthit starts every day with a run, followed by coffee. A passionate baker and reader of mainly literary fiction, her home-based studio, allows a submergence in daily moments, objects, and places which inspire her personally narrative paintings.

‘Working primarily from memory I recreate scenes from my life intending to visually show my emotional connection to objects, people, and places. Though these memories are my own, I trust that my process of remembering and imagining translates to something universal. In this way, I see painting is an act of connection, patience, and love.’

In Douthit’s earlier work, working from memory was done strictly through observational painting; however, she’s been working increasingly from her own memory. Now, as works of autobiographical fiction, the process of painting has developed her awareness of memory’s fragileness and truth’s flexibility. In the end, the emotion Douthit feels when looking at her work is the most important element to the painting, and how she gets there is less important.

‘A work is complete when the emotions I feel for the subject parallel what I feel when looking at the painting.’

We are proud to represent Mollie Douthit as a Guest Artist at the Nordic Art Agency. We look forward to hosting an exhibition of her painting in the gallery in September.

Artist Biography

Dreams are Important at Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.

Tyranny of Ambition at Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda.

Generation 22 at Butler Gallery, Kilkenny.

When Worlds Collide at Butler Gallery, Kilkenny.

Forthcoming

Joint exhibition with collaborator Sara Baume at Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.

Joint exhibition at the Nordic Art Agency, Malmö.