Emmet Kierans' figurative paintings use characters and objects from the popular imagination as embodiments of collective desires and aspirations. His works are characterised by a visual language which is soft yet precise and feature imagery often drawn from film stills, advertisements and publicity shots. His recent body of work focuses on forgotten Hollywood stars from bygone eras, characters who personify idealised versions of the human experience. These are individuals who were once celebrated figures of the popular imagination but who now exist as echoes in the collective consciousness. There is a haunting aura to these elusive portraits, which are poignant reminders of past iterations of beauty and sophistication.

Kierans' work is held in the collections of the Arts Council of Ireland; Trinity College, Dubin and The Office of Public Works, Dublin, as well as private collections in Ireland, the UK and USA. He has exhibited at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; The Royal Academy of Arts, London; Galway Arts Centre, Ireland and La Station, Nice.