Mythological artistry at Mayo's Linenhall in spotlight
THE Linenhall Arts Centre is excited to welcome multidisciplinary artist Valerie Asiimwe Amani who commenced with her international artist residency in their historic building this week.
Hailing from Tanzania, the talented artist and writer was selected as the inaugural awardee of this eight-week residency opportunity following a huge response from artists the world over.
Amani’s practice interrogates the ways in which body erotics, language, place and the metaphysical are used to situate (or isolate) the self in and out of community, through explorations of video, text, textile and installation.
EXHIBITION
Continuing with the visual arts theme is a new exhibition launch in the Linenhall Gallery on September 9.
The work of Oscar Fouz Lopez is informed by mythological stories and their synthesis of history, metaphor and philosophical teachings.
‘Makeshift Theatre’, the latest collection of paintings by this Spanish born, Irish based artist, features a cast of characters, living together in nature, enjoying the simple pleasures of dancing and telling stories, thriving in a campsite at the heart of a forest.
The paintings’ settings stem from Lopez’s trip to the redwood forests of California, some of the oldest trees on Earth. While in the US, he also visited the De Young Museum in San Francisco and discovered the textiles of the Navajo tribe, the sacred art of weaving engrained in their culture. Inspired by the alignment of the tribe’s daily lives with their holistic concept of the universe, in which doing and being are one and the same, this work is a homage to that truthfulness.
Merging the real with the imaginary and allowing for new realities to open up, the viewer is invited to enter.
MUSIC
Moving on to music, the highly anticipated Drawing From The Well, an evening of traditional music, song and dance in the company of four leading contemporary traditional artists, inspired by the great archival collections, is being hosted at the Linenhall on September 13.
An acoustic and visual gem, this tour was born from a monthly series of the same name, presented by the Irish Traditional Music Archive. Witness Brían Mac Gloinn of folk aficionado’s Ye Vagabonds on lead vocals, accompanied by concertina player extraordinaire Cormac Begley, harpist Laoise Kelly and the sublime dance of Edwina Guckian in this accomplished showcase.
For further insight into all Linenhall happenings and events please see www.thelinenhall.com or contact the box office on (094) 9023733.