Kildare artist opens exhibition six years in the making
A painting of one of our offshore islands in Pamela de Brí's exhibition
A CLANE artist who has spent the last six years painting almost 60 of our 258 offshore islands opened an exhibition in Kilcock Art Gallery on Saturday (26 April), which will run until 7 June.
or ‘On The Edge’ will be a solo exhibition by artist Pamela de Brí which will explore the in-depth story of Ireland’s offshore islands, encapsulating their history, culture and their overall essence. The breadth of work is 58 paintings in total (oil on board), with 30 of them to be exhibited at launch, with an accompanying coffee table book in the autumn.
The exhibition shows Ireland’s distinctive outline of offshore islands as seen from the mainland, and attempts to capture the soul and spirit of each island from the artist’s own sense of the place.
It’s about language, culture, the stories and the way people lived. This exhibition is unique in that it is the first time that anyone has depicted our offshore islands in painting with supporting stories.
“This is a celebration of our islands. Their stories explore gloriously rich history, anchored in six years of comprehensive research but delivered with a sense of respect and appreciation,” said Pamela.
The volume of work features offshore islands from the very tip of Northern Ireland – Rathlin Island – to islands scattered around the Ireland’s south, east and west coasts.
The artist has captured over 58 offshore islands, some inhabited and some not. These include Achill Island in Mayo, Inishturk in west Mayo, Ireland’s Eye off Dublin, Straw Island off the coast of Galway, Tearaght off the Blaskets to Scariff and Deenish in Co Kerry and one of the smallest – Mew Island in Co Down, which houses Mew Island Lighthouse.
“The earliest inhabitants of Ireland lived on the shores and adjoining islands and this body of work reflects that history, which also informs our present day. This collection invites the viewer to contemplate our world, what is lost and what can be lost,” Pamela said.
“I’ve had an enduring love of islands from childhood; that inspired me to research them further and to visually respond to them. My work explores shifts and changes in rural Ireland. I record how images from the past through Ireland’s landscapes embody cultural memory and characterise the future. I want this work to have relevance to the society from which it evolves.”
The exhibition will run from 26 April to 7 June, and is sponsored by Kildare County Council’s Arts Office and the Arts Council. Kilcock Art Gallery on School Street is open from 11am to 4pm Wednesday to Saturday or you can view the collection online at www.kilcockartgallery.ie and pameladebri.com.
