This winter group show invites visitors to an overview of the various exhibitions held at the gallery this year: From solo exhibitions by Eoin Mac Lochlainn (‘Cogadh na gCarad’), Nickie Hayden (‘Safe Harbour’), Miriam McConnon (‘The Refugee’s Armour’) and David Fox (‘Urban Fingerprint’) on themes such as the Irish Civil War, sanctuaries, young male refugees and street art, to a group show on urban trees curated with Paddy Woodworth and featuring work by Eoin Mac Lochlainn, Annika Berglund, Hugh Cummins and Yanny Petters, this is an exhibition that purports to reflect on the year gone by in connection with topical issues and worldwide events.

The show also features small works by Mary A. Fitzgerald, Kelly Ratchford and Vicky Smith who participated in our group show ‘1515‘. Our Summer show ‘My Favourite Artwork at the Olivier Cornet Gallery‘ is also represented by work by Sheila Naughton and Mary A. Fitzgerald. Likewise, Our National Heritage Week’s special event with Hugh Cummins is represented by the artist’s two beautiful Mahogany and Tulip Wood Vessels.

This year, Olivier spent more time visiting studios and engaging with new artists such as the USA-based Irish artist Bart O’Reilly and Dublin-1 based artist Fergus Kelly. Both artists have work in the show too. We are also delighted to include the artist Conor Horgan’s photographic response to our urban pocket forest planted outside the gallery as part of our show on urban trees back in May this year. This special garden is the result of a great collaboration with Belvedere College’s Urban Farmer Simon O’Donnell assisted by the school’s art students and their art teacher Martina Leddy.

Our artists also show their work in various locations. An example of this would be Yanny Petters’s Foliis Volantes’ which was shown at Sculpture in Context at the National Botanic Gardens Dublin earlier this year. The work is in homage to the sculptor Alexander Calder (1898-1976) and his mobiles with their gentle balancing movements. “While experimenting with chemicals when printmaking I discovered this way of perforating copper to achieve pleasing silhouettes. Combined with etching, gilding & patinating, techniques I use in my botanical paintings on glass, this kinetic sculpture will evoke the beauty of falling leaves in autumn. Because of climate change our familiar seasons are hanging in the balance.” Yanny Petters.