RUA. Born in Dublin 1938 but has lived in the North of Ireland since 1939. Jack graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 1959 in French, Spanish and Philosophy, followed by Teacher Training at Stranmillis College 1960/61.
Jack taught English at Ashfield Boy’s Secondary School Belfast from 1961 to 1990. He is now working full time as a painter.
He is self-taught as a painter and also writes poetry. Since 1960 he has held over thirty five solo exhibitions and has contributed to numerous Group and Thematic Exhibitions in Ireland, the U.K., America, Canada, Bosnia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico and Norway.
Pakenham’s work explores the conflict between the individual and the divided society that constitutes everyday life in Northern Ireland: in his own words ‘Over these years, I have tried to convey through a poetic language of metaphor, symbol, allegory and ambiguous narrative some of my concerns and anxieties, to use visual language to expose and comment’.
In 1987 Jack was elected as an Aceademian of the RUA.
