Pete Monaghan
Pete Monaghan works from a studio in Aberystwyth, west Wales. Working mainly in acrylic, ink, crayon and collage, his practice focuses on vernacular architecture—barns, filling stations, sheds, and weathered rural buildings.
Pete Monaghan originally trained in mechanical engineering and technical illustration, he pursued a successful career as an illustrator in Germany for over two decades before completing an MA in Fine Art at Aberystwyth University. His practice is centred on the depiction of vernacular architecture, with particular attention to the rural buildings and structures of Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and the Alpine regions. Working predominantly with acrylics, ink, crayon, collage, and found materials on wood panels, Monaghan combines observational drawing with studio-based reinterpretation to produce works that are both texturally rich and conceptually grounded. His approach, informed by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, seeks to reveal the understated beauty of weathered and utilitarian forms, eschewing sentimentality in favour of an authentic engagement with the marks of time, labour, and human presence. Monaghan has exhibited widely in the United Kingdom and internationally, with notable solo shows at Ffin-y-Parc Gallery and MoMA Machynlleth, where he was awarded the People’s Prize in 2016. His thematic series, including Coastal Structures and (Demise of the) Rural Welsh Filling Station, have received critical recognition and support through public and arts council funding.
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