Seed to Flower is my contribution to Creatives for Ukraine, an open platform for creatives from around the world showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
UNICEF is working to scale up life-saving support for children and their families in Ukraine.
In the spring of 2021 I ran a number of papercutting workshops on Zoom, in preparation for painting ‘the Age Friendly Cat’. Wonderful Kilkenny-themed work was made by workshop participants Eimear Burke, Mary Colclough, Bryan Culley, Janice Culley, Joan Fogarty and Mari O’Shea. As a memento, I designed an A3 poster that includes most of the papercuts made by them, showing much more of their detail than the cat does. High quality digital prints by Modern Printers. The Kilkenny Catwalk trail of 21 sculptures continues until Easter 2022. ‘The Age Friendly Cat’ can still be found in McDonagh Junction’s square. Visit www.kilkennycatwalk.ie to find out more.
I collaborated on a new piece with Michał Tylicki of Artefakt Rugs and it is part of Made in Ireland at the National Design & Craft Gallery in Kilkenny. The exhibition was selected by Peter Carroll, Dr. Riann Coulter, Irene Kernan, Dr. Audrey Whitty, Neil Reed, Kathleen Moran and Mary Gallagher and curated by Hilary Morley and Stephen O’Connell and it continues until 30 January 2022. It was a pleasure to be involved in the install of the exhibition and it is an honour to show our work along some beautiful objects by makers from around the country.
My exhibition Lines and Layers opened at St John’s Theatre & Arts Centre in Listowel, Co. Kerry last Saturday. I started this body of work in Cill Rialaig Artist Retreat, Co. Kerry in early 2020 and continued working on it over the lockdowns. These acrylic on canvas paintings are variations on simple patterns, made one brushstroke at the time and layered, to create new and unexpected compositions and shades of colour. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-17:30
Today is the last day of Traveller Pride Week 2021. On Tuesday Hannah McCormick and I facilitated papercutting workshops in after school clubs in O’Loughlin Court and Millennium Court in Kilkenny. I designed an A3 poster based on the work made by the children and on Friday they all received a printed copy.
After months of planning, it was such a pleasure to spend last week in the handball alley in Listowel, Co. Kerry. I mentored local artists Eimear O’Connor, Erin Halpin and Michelle Quinn in working on a mural. The designs are based on small scale papercuts that were enlarged to create a colourful work of public art inspired by Junior Griffin’s poem “Memories of the Ball Alley in Listowel” and the people, sporting life and cultural traditions of Listowel and North Kerry. I am looking forward to the launch of the mural and to showing some of my own recent paintings in St. John’s Theatre and Arts Centre on Saturday. Big thanks to Aideen Wylde, curator in residence Maire Logue of St. John’s Theatre and Arts Centre and to Listowel Tidy Towns.
Kilkenny Catwalk is a trail of 21 sculptures painted by local artists. The 5ft fibreglass resin model is based on Pangur Bán, a character from Cartoon Saloon’s first feature animation ‘The Secret of Kells’. The project is a partnership between Kilkenny Civic Trust and Kilkenny County Council. The trail will be launched on 10 October 2021 and remain in place until Easter 2022. The trail is designed to immerse people in Kilkenny’s rich heritage while at the same time supporting the Keep Well Campaign. At the conclusion of the project, all artwork will be auctioned to raise funds for the St Mary’s Almshouses refurbishment project.
I painted the Age Friendly Cat following a series of online workshops promoted by the Older Peoples Council. Through the medium of papercutting, participants explored positive and negative space, colour, pattern and all things Kilkenny. The rich collection of papercuts that developed over a couple of months, became an integral part of the cat design. Early on, one of the workshop participants proposed that the Age Friendly Cat should be a celebration of creativity in older age. Big thanks to the workshop participants: Eimear Burke, Mary Colclough, Bryan Culley, Janice Culley, Joan Fogarty and Mari O’Shea.
I feel very honoured to have had a large sculptural papercut in ‘Conjuring Form’, the Design and Crafts Council Ireland Portfolio Critical Selection 2021-2022 exhibition in Doneraile Court, Co. Cork. It was curated by Alice Stori Liechtenstein.
I just completed this mural in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny. It is a stylised representation of the town on the gable end of ‘the Anchor’. You’ll see it just before you cross the bridge over the river Barrow into Tinnahich, Co. Carlow. It depicts Brandon Hill, Duiske Abbey, the seven-arch hump back bridge, Abbey Hall, the lock keeper’s cottage in Lower Tinnahich and two local shoppers. This is an initiative of Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Chamber supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The National Design & Craft Gallery is open again and I am very happy to have three papercut works in Curious Treasures 2.
Paul Bokslag 