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Embassy of Ireland, London 17 Grosvenor Place London SW1X 7HR United Kingdom
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The Embassy of Ireland in London extends a warm invitation for visitors to a new art exhibition, Irish Art Now, curated by Joe Duggan and Orla Jackson, celebrating 14 established and emerging Irish visual artists who have made London their creative home.
This dynamic exhibition showcases a diverse array of works in sculpture, painting, and printmaking, capturing the richness of Irish artistic talent and its distinctive presence within the UK’s cultural scene.
Featured artists include Oisín Byrne, Aislinn Finnegan, Emmet Kierans, Richard Malone, Kerri McEvoy, Laura Ní Fhlaibhín, Eve O’Callaghan, Hazel O’Sullivan, Yuri Pattison, Kathy Prendergast, Eva Rothschild, Anne Ryan, Orla Jackson, and Joe Duggan.
Irish Ambassador to Great Britain Martin Fraser said, “As Ambassador of Ireland in London, I am proud to host this landmark exhibition of established and emerging Irish artists here at the Embassy. We are fortunate to have an important and exciting visual art scene in Ireland, and so many of our talented visual artists that have called London home over the years. There is significant and vital cultural engagement and exchange between the British and Irish art worlds, a testament to the strong cultural ties between these islands. I look forward to the dialogue that this exhibition sparks about Irish art, and warmly welcome our guests to the Embassy.”
This exhibition will run from 8th - 28th January, and be open to the public during bookable day and evening timeslots, which can be reserved through the Embassy’s website ireland.ie/greatbritain.
The exhibition’s official launch, hosted by Ambassador Martin Fraser, will take place on Monday, 13th January. This gathering will bring together artists, curators, and professionals from the British and Irish art worlds to celebrate the contributions of Irish artists to cultural life in the UK and the significant history of, and opportunities for, creative collaboration between the Irish and British art industries. This event is by invitation, but there will be a number of tickets released for the general public on the Embassy’s social media platforms in January.
On Tuesday, 21st January the Embassy will host a panel discussion with distinguished guest speakers who will explore the exhibition theme of Irish art today.
Speakers include Dr Fionna Barber [Reader in Art History in the Manchester School of Art and Doctoral Lead for Art and Performance], Emma Goltz [The current Chair of Studio Voltaire, former board member of IMMA, and a collector of Irish art], Mark O’Gorman [Curator and Producer of Visual Arts at The Complex in Dublin] and Helen Carey [Director of the Fire Station Artists’ Studio Dublin, Independent Curator and member of the Culture Ireland Expert Advisory Committee].
This discussion aims to examine evolving narratives, address challenges, and provoke thought on the current and future role of Irish art within the UK cultural landscape. This event is also by invitation, but there will be a number of tickets released for the general public on the Embassy’s social media platforms in January.
The exhibition is curated by Orla Jackson and Joe Duggan, independent artists from Ireland who live and work in London. Orla is a recent graduate of the Royal College of Art, working in print, text and installation, and Joe is an established artist working in sculpture, photography, video, publishing and installation.
This exhibition is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. Exhibition Catalogue sponsored by The Doyle Collection. For press enquiries, please contact our PressLondonEmbassyPress@dfa.ie.
More info
Dates: Wednesday 8th– Tuesday 28th January 2025 Exhibition opening times will shortly be available here: Irish Art Now exhibition showcasing the work of Irish artists in the UK | Ireland.ie https://www.instagram.com/irishembassyuk/
About the curators
Orla Jackson and Joe Duggan are independent artists from Ireland who live and work in London.
Joe Duggan is a Limerick born artist living and working in Buckinghamshire. He studied at the Royal College of Art London gaining an M.A. in Fine Art (Photography). His artistic practice includes sculpture, photography, video, publishing and installation.
Through these various media, his work considers ideas of value and identity. Focusing on themes of the family, the artist’s role in society and the influence of hierarchical systems, including religion, on culture. Across his projects, Duggan’s work is inflected with a wry wit and a playful DIY aesthetic in which he conveys deeper lying concerns. He also curates and produces exhibitions. https://www.joeduggan.co.uk/
Orla Jackson is a visual artist from County Limerick who currently lives and works in Central London.
The inescapable rituals and colours of the West of Ireland are woven into her work. Traces of her cultural and social past are present, delving often into the wider notions of belonging, the
complexity of diaspora and the emotional weight of displacement. Melancholia in tandem with rhythmic movement are presented using repeated lines and geometric forms. Orla completed her Masters in Printmaking at the Royal College of Art in 2023. She also curates and produces exhibitions. https://orlajackson.co.uk