By Stephanie Noble
Launch Night September 28th at 7pm
]]>Walking, I’m aware of the soft ground beneath me, providing a moor for all this life, an anchor point for mighty giants and tiny weeds.
And the clouds shift and all at once the new illumination pierces the shadow, light scattering as it hits each branch and shoot, creating wonderfully confusing patterns never to be seen again.
Invisible shadows become solid as the sun forces a contrast and dappled marks appear across the path. The leaves bathed in radiance, remain unstirred by any other force. I lust after the warmth of one of those shafts of sunlight, unexpectedly breaking apart the dense cover. The path ahead is banded with intermittent light, but it is my guide, it never speaks but it tells me where to go. Move out of the shadow, beckons the light.
Way down we go. I crave both the bright and the obscured, they are here in abundance. Creatures thrive in both. Some looking to hide from it, some finding the light. Deadly battles fought every day, go on here while I walk past, picking up pinecone mementos of a journey. I don’t need words here. Language is redundant.
My time is almost up, and I need to return to my daily reality, dipping in and out of the dark and light places.
Paths that brought me here must now lead me back, alongside glittering leaves and tangled growth. Too brief again, but restorative all the same. I’ll settle for the sporadic moments with the forest that I can snatch to let in the light.
- Stephanie Noble, 2023
]]>By Patrick Colhoun
Launch Night August 31st at 7pm
]]>By Patrick Colhoun
Launch Night August 31st at 7pm
‘PACK’, is an installation of 11 robot dogs made of ceramic and various complimentary materials. They vary in size, namely large, medium and small, giving an impression of a hierarchy of ages and stages of development, just like a family.
Patrick Colhoun’s work has long focused on issues around mental health, particularly the ease of access to prescription medication and subsequent societal reliance on that to treat anxiety and depression. The analogy of the robot dog, or Black Dog, represents the decline of the person to a basic functioning being as the senses are numbed. The relationship of each dog to each other represents what, to some, is the last meaningful thing to exist, namely family and community.
The aesthetic of the pieces will incorporate many visual characteristics recognizable from earlier work. Use of primary colours is prevalent and presents a bright façade whereby the pieces may look playful and happy whilst the subject matter is dark. Use of ceramic as the main material is complimented by the introduction of several materials not usually associated with traditional ceramics. Materials such as hosiery, Meccano, Corian, metal spikes and neon add a contemporary aesthetic.
The analogy of the PACK now reflects one of the few support structures left, namely family.
PACK emphasises the collective value of sticking together, the hierarchy of the pieces in terms of size will reflect a family unit, reliant on and supporting each other.
PACK is a collection of disparate, disconnected pieces, but PACK is a family.
]]>By Esther O'Kelly & NOTPOP
Launch Night May 25th at 7pm
]]>‘I paint remembered landscapes, made from personal experience and an active engagement with the idea of place. I am inspired by how we form an understanding of our surroundings and how the lived experience can turn into an abstract expression. I attempt to include all aspects of memory, the impossible alignment of present, past and future.’
O’Kelly studied in The National College of Art and Design and now paints from her East Belfast Studio based in a former linen Mill. She is best known for her abstract works which are collected internationally.
NOTPOP
‘Under the moniker NOTPOP I produce abstract shapes paired with disruptive colours which I then wrap in bespoke frames that follow the form of the subject within. The frame then becomes an extension of the subject rather than a complimenting element.
My subjects stem from a simple shape, a doodle or inspiration from the world around. I flatten the shape to become minimal and geometric, then using bold colour choices I play on the viewer’s perception by giving 2d shapes a 3d form. Any piece can be appreciated from many different angles, allowing the viewer or collector a chance to discover or rediscover new perspectives in the process. The work aims to capture a rhythm, a motion, a pattern or an illusion to find a satisfying balance within the chaos of everyday life’
]]>By Ciara Gilmore
Launch Night April 20th at 7pm
]]>'Breaking through' resonates with me in two distinct ways;
My paintings always depict an area of light often in contrast to a darker area within the composition (or painting), for me this emergence of light through darkness reflects breaking through battles, struggles and negativity into a positive energy of hope, serenity and love.
'Breaking through' also reflects my journey as an artist.
I have painted all of my life but until 5 years ago I always preferred to paint realistically. I did this because I believed that painting in this way was the hallmark of an accomplished artist.
Diving into expressionism was a massive step out of my comfort zone but for the first time, instead of using a photograph for inspiration, I was now using my intuition, my emotions and my memories.
I started to paint with freedom and joy, I broke all the rules and allowed my intuition to be my guide.
When my new expressionist work was well received and being collected around the world, I knew I had broken through that personal barrier I had created for myself.
I followed my gut and found my creative and happy place!
I'm so proud of this collection. Every mark made, and paint stroke applied is a little piece of me.
Ciara Gilmore 2023
]]>By Emma Tweedie
Launch Night October 27th 2023
]]>Nature has the power to take each of us on a deep and personal journey and our relationships with the natural world can be profound. Human consciousness finds its own connection points within the ancient wisdom and energy that resides there, enriching our sense of personal spirituality.
To cultivate a deeper sense of self; by exploring deeply and culturally encoded memories, ideologies, and emotions of a fractured land, the artist revisits places from childhood that need to be remembered and held, re-examining them within the context of the present.
Exploration of personal narratives and immersion in these unique land and seascapes, fans and re-ignites the embers of emotion and memory. With perspective and distance, messages and memories are filtered, maintained and held. These representations of past and present places are brought together in a series of paintings that act as a portrait of the artist as witness and interpreter.
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Friday May 27th
]]>While we prepare for our big move to the Lisburn Road there will be some changes to our regular schedule next week.
Make sure to follow our socials to keep up to date with the latest news and official opening this Spring
@canvasgalleries