Custom House Studios and Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo is happy to present Olwyn Colgan’s solo exhibition, Memories of Now. Dublin-based visual artist Olwyn Colgan has immersed herself in the transformative process of painting and print, exploring the essential elements of visual experience, with reference to the evocative boglands of her native Tyrone. Her work evolves organically through materiality, and, like the bogs, the making process itself is many-layered.

While some of Colgan’s paintings are autobiographical, others draw inspiration from the sea and wider aspects of nature. Colgan uses her paintings to explore personal narratives—often evoking the quiet power of the natural world and memories that connect the two.

Approaching her practice intuitively, Colgan embraces accident and discovery— ‘I like not knowing how it’s going to turn out. I just batter away at it until it feels right.’ She has long been fascinated by William Blake and ideas of Romanticism that links her practice to contemporary neo-Romanticism—her work is characterized by a unique fusion of the otherworldly and the representational.

She combines a variety of materials—including paper, ink, watercolour, and acrylics—blending collage, printmaking, and painting techniques. This diverse approach allows her to explore the depth of her themes while conveying these stories through a muted colour palette, seeking to evoke a sense of atmosphere.

Ultimately, Colgan’s work creates “memories of now,” capturing moments in time that invite reflection in the future. These landscapes and personal experiences are the stories that shape her world. Through this, she aims to offer viewers a space for reflection and introspection, allowing them to access their own emotions and experiences, perhaps seeing their own stories mirrored through these pictures.

Colgan’s practice has been shaped by residencies at The Cill Rialaig Project and Tyrone Guthrie, Annaghmakerrig. Her recent work has been included in group shows at Ardgillan Gallery, Dublin 2024; Boyle Arts Festival (Invited Artist), Kings House, Co. Roscommon 2023 & 2022; and RUA Annual Exhibition 2021 & 2022. Colgan is a graduate of NCAD and of the University of Ulster. She has won awards and residencies in Ireland. She is a recipient of the Arts Council of Ireland Agility Award 2024.