Wexford Campus School of Art and Design (IT Carlow) BA (Hons) Fine Art Graduate Exhibition

Wexford Arts Centre in partnership with the Wexford Campus School of Art and Design (IT Carlow) are pleased to present the annual BA Fine Art Graduate exhibition entitled The caged bird sings…

Throughout the last four years, the students of the Wexford Campus have developed, experimented and honed their personal practices.  This exhibition marks the start of each artist’s professional career, showcasing and celebrating their ongoing ability, dedication and determination to create strong visual work exploring themes and issues at the very core of everyday lifeThis year, graduating students have confronted many weighted issues though their inclusive examination of global and intensely human concerns including perceptions of gender and identity, technological advancements and how this impacts on communication, the human figure and form, death, religion and intimacy. They have responded to both natural and artificial environments, acutely aware of the implications of both, while drawing attention to the divisions in our global society. A selection of the work tenderly deals with subtle but crucial aspects of human interaction through portraiture and interwoven themes, examining how varying facial expressions can express emotional states and how colour and application can suggest character and personality; in one instance this is accomplished by presenting a deeply respectful portrayal of the often underrepresented elderly community. The abstraction of reality and how we perceive space and nature underpins much of the exhibition. Indeed abstraction has remained central to the development of many of the students work, realised through ongoing experimentation to see just how far they can push each medium; thus allowing the viewers imagination to dictate what they see themselves.  In its essence, the exhibition looks beyond superficial trappings and obvious cliches to focus primarily on human interaction and how we perceive the world around us; in many cases creating work which is both open and introspected, seeking to make our inner territory visible.

The cage bird sings… features the work of Ann Breen, Deirdre Buttimer, Lisa Dunne, Fran Greene, Gina Murphy, Danny O’Brien, Martin Reading, Sandra Ryan, Breda Stacey and Zane Sutra.

The exhibition officially opens on Thursday 19th May at 6pm with guest speaker Ann Mulrooney, CEO – Visual, Carlow. All are welcome to attend.