Born in Wales, sculptor Barry Flanagan studied at Birmingham College of Art and Crafts and St Martin's School of Art, London. Best known for his leaping and dancing bronze hares which were displayed worldwide, Flanagan represented Britain at the 1982 Venice Biennale. He was elected to the Royal Academy and received an OBE in 1991. A major retrospective of Flannagan’s work was held at IMMA, in association with Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, in 2006.