Paul Seawright | The Sectarian Murder Series

In Paul Seawright’s iconic Sectarian Murder series, the artist revisits sites of sectarian killings in Belfast near where he grew up.

Paul Seawright revisited and photographed the sites of Sectarian attacks during the 1970’s close to where the artist grew up in Belfast. The texts accompanying each photograph are from newspaper reports at the time and document the murders of innocent civilians, killed for their perceived religion. Reference to Protestant or Catholic background was removed from the text.

Seawright is best known for his alternative visual analysis of locations and subjects dominated by mainstream media. His photographs are devoid of obvious drama but loaded with implicit tension. In 2002 he was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum London to respond to the war in Afghanistan and his photographs of battle-sites and minefields have subsequently been exhibited worldwide.

The iconic Sectarian Murder series is one of his earlier works, and has been exhibited in more than 20 countries, including at Tate Britain, Planet Parr in Munich and Paris, The Troubles Archive OBG Belfast, the British Council Collection exhibition at London Whitechapel Gallery. The series was part of a major exhibition of Seawright’s work entitled ‘Anxious Landscape’ here at the Golden Thread Gallery in 2008.

This work was purchased for the Golden Thread Gallery Collection thanks to support from the Ampersand Foundation.

Image: Paul Seawright Sectarian Murder Series. 1988. Courtesy of the Golden Thread Gallery Collection 2026.