Spanning a period of 70 years across two generations, the works in this thematic exhibition range from painting, collage and watercolours, to immersive film, sculptural installation and live performance. One of the largest exhibitions of Souter’s work to date, it features works-on-paper from the 1950s as well as one of her final paintings, alongside previously unseen archival materials and sketches by the British-born Irish artist. Many of Whittle’s installation works have been specially reimagined and refabricated by the artist for IMMA’s galleries, in what is the first showing of the Barbadian-Scottish artist’s practice in Ireland.

Where Souter and Whittle meet in Fisherwoman, Fisherwoman, we see layered intersections of ecological and humanitarian concerns. The artists call attention to urgent issues of extraction and land use, geology and climate, industrialisation and labour, and movement and migration. They each create work from their own personal and local experiences, yet it is shaped by an unerring global awareness. At the same time, these artists’ practices are singular-they contrast in form and style to one another and hold different emphasis. Whittle leans towards the political, charging Souter’s prescient socially engaged works, while Souter’s intense care and curiosity for the natural world extends Whittle’s in turn. These different levels of emphasis bring nuance and texture to the exhibition, adding a productive complexity for visitors to unfold from their own position.

Coinciding with the preview of Fisherwoman, Fisherwoman, IMMA Talks presents a roundtable conversation with artist Alberta Whittle, art historian Dr Sarah Kelleher, and IMMA curator Rachael Gilbourne. Tickets to this talk will be available from Thursday 5 February.

Whittle’s film RESET (2020) will be screened on Living Canvas at IMMA at key moments over the duration of the show, and on 21 June, Whittle’s performance work RESET (2021–2026), with choreographer and performer Mele Broomes, will take place live across the museum’s grounds on Solstice, as part of Summer at IMMA.

A new IMMA Limited Edition sculpture has been created by Alberta Whittle to accompany the exhibition. Cast in glass, the work is titled Summoning spirit – building a new vessel, 2026, and is issued in a varied edition of 11 plus 4 artist’s proofs. The edition will be available to purchase from the IMMA Shop.

A wider public programme of related workshops and screenings will also run in parallel with the exhibition.