West Cork mourns sudden death of Maurice Henderson

THE unexpected death has occurred of the renowned West Cork Artist, Maurice Henderson. 

Maurice was a celebrated painter, best known for his vibrant use of colour with oil on canvas paintings and landscapes of West Cork and The Wild Atlantic Way. 

His works, inspired by the rugged natural beauty of the south west coast of Ireland, have been regularly exhibited in Cork and Dublin since the early 1980s and are in collections around Ireland, including the UCC and Allied Irish Bank art collections. 

Maurice was born in England in 1944 and studied art and education at Farnam Art School and Goldsmiths Art College London, before moving to West Cork in the early 70s where he lived, worked and raised a son. 

He focused his art on his most beloved themes: wildflowers, gardens, and the flowering shrubs in his own garden. 

In later years he also became inspired by Islamic art and architecture through extensive travel in Turkey, Syria and Egypt. 

In 2014 Maurice was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. After some years of ill-health, he made a fantastic recovery under the care of the Skibbereen Residential Care Centre, where he rediscovered the joy of painting. 

His work is currently exhibited at West Cork Creates in Skibbereen until September 17th. 

Maurice is survived by his son Orion, two grandchildren, and his sister Beverley Fry. 

Maurice died in Cork University Hospital on August 31st.  He was 73 years old.