New exhibition of work created by contemporary artists during lockdown

Lace, Paint, Hair opens on 25 July 2020: artists Fiona Harrington, Cian McLoughlin, Eimear Murphy

For over 150 years, artists have found inspiration and support at the National Gallery of Ireland. This summer, the Gallery celebrates work created by three contemporary Irish artists in lockdown in a new, free exhibition Lace, Paint, Hair. Opening on 25 July 2020, the display features handmade lace by Fiona Harrington, oil paintings by Cian McLoughlin and a series of mixed media artworks by Eimear Murphy.

For over 100 days this year, the National Gallery of Ireland closed its doors. Though the building was closed, work at the Gallery continued. Countless people make up the fabric of this historic institution, including an ever-growing number of contemporary artists who contribute to the Gallery’s collection and programme.

Fiona Harrington, Cian McLoughlin and Eimear Murphy each have an established and unique relationship with the National Gallery of Ireland: all three artists have made significant contributions to its public programme in recent years. During the Gallery’s closure, conversations continued. The artists’ work during this time was shaped by the ever-changing circumstances brought about by the global pandemic. The artists’ responses to the events of recent months inspired Lace, Paint, Hair.

The exhibition title references the materials embraced by the three artists while adapting to unfamiliar situations and surroundings. From Fiona Harrington’s masterful needlework to Cian McLoughlin’s pulsating ‘Crowd’ canvases and Eimear Murphy’s innovative fusion of traditional techniques with unusual media, this exhibition celebrates the art of making, and the makers of art in Ireland today. 

Sinéad Rice, exhibition curator and Head of Education at the National Gallery of Ireland, commented: “The walls of the National Gallery of Ireland are filled with over 600 years of works created by artists in response to the ever changing, and often challenging world around them. From varied backgrounds, working in diverse media and using widely varying techniques, Fiona Harrington, Cian Mcloughlin and Eimear Murphy are unified through their demonstrable skill, resourcefulness, vision and drive. Their hand is evident in each and every work. They are makers of art, and makers of art are at the heart of the National Gallery of Ireland.”

Current and upcoming highlights at the National Gallery of Ireland include Shaw and the Gallery: A Priceless Education, a free exhibition exploring the relationship between G.B. Shaw and the Gallery, which is now open. Later this month, a new display featuring a selection of photographs from cancelled exhibition Irish Horse opens: Reined In: Photographs from Irish Horse. The ever-popular Zurich Portrait Prize and Zurich Young Portrait Prize return to the Portrait Gallery in November. The highlight of the Gallery’s Autumn programming will be Mondrian: a landmark exhibition celebrating Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, the first of the artist’s work to be held in Ireland.

Find out more at www.nationalgallery.ie. 

ENDS

Media contact:
Kate O’Leary, Communications, National Gallery of Ireland [email protected] / 087 334 1587

Notes to Editor:

• Images are available on request. 
• Head of Education and exhibition curator Sinéad Rice is available for interview.
• Artists Fiona Harrington, Cian McLoughlin and Eimear Murphy are available for interview.

Exhibition listing:

Lace, Paint, Hair 

25 July – 30 September 2020
Millennium Wing Studio, National Gallery of Ireland | Free admission (no pre-booking required)
This exhibition is supported by Maples Group.

Artists:

Fiona Harrington is a visual artist who works with handmade lace. She studied fine art, textile design and lacemaking, and has been the recipient of multiple bursaries, awards and commissions including the National Craft Award. She has exhibited and travelled extensively to give talks and demonstrations on Irish lace.

Cian McLoughlin is a Dublin-based artist. To date, Cian’s work has been the subject of five solo shows in Dublin, and one in New York. He has featured in many group exhibitions notably at the National Gallery of Ireland, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and in the RHA Annual. In 2019 the National Gallery of Ireland purchased a self-portrait from this series for its permanent collection.

Eimear Murphy graduated from The National College of Art and Design in 2015, and was awarded the FireStation Artist's Studios Graduate Residency and a landmark sculpture commission from Dublin Port that same year. The resulting permanent public artwork ‘Drop was unveiled in 2017. Eimear was a recipient of the Arts Council’s Next Generation Award in 2018. Several of Eimear’s works are held in the collection of the OPW. 

Visitor information at the National Gallery of Ireland:

No advanced booking required. Entry via Merrion Square entrance only. Sanitising facilities at all entry points and throughout Gallery. Tours and audio guides are not available but online versions of Gallery initiatives will be online. Lifts available but for single use or disability access only. Cloakrooms are closed.

About the National Gallery of Ireland:

The National Gallery of Ireland is one of the country’s most popular visitor attractions housing the nation’s collection of European and Irish art from about 1300 to the present day, and an extensive Library & Archive. Entry to the collection is free for all to enjoy, learn and be inspired.

National Gallery at Home:

For those who are unable to visit the National Gallery of Ireland at the moment, there are many ways to engage with the national collection online. ‘National Gallery at Home’ includes videos, Works of the Day, Mindfulness and Art, and at-home activities connected to the national collection. Virtual tours of iconic spaces such as the Shaw Room and the Grand Gallery, as well as exhibitions Irish Horse and Murillo: The Prodigal Son Restored, can also be explored from home. Find out more at www.nationalgallery.ie/national-gallery-ireland-at-home