First Exhibition of 2010

An exhibition of artwork from three local artists will go on display in the Samhlaiocht Gallery on Thursday, 7th January, 2010 in the first exhibition of the New Year. The exhibition will feature work by Muiriosa Murphy, Ronan Smith and Silke Michels. All three artists are either Kerry-based or from Kerry originally. Their work was selected from the more than 50 artists who submitted work to Samhlaiocht, hoping for a spot in the Gallery's 2010 programme.

Muiriosa, who hails from Rathmore originally, but has lived in Kerry for years, is a born painter, sculptor and printmaker and finds inspiration in life but also in the tactile interaction with the materials she uses.

"Art is not just a job," says Muiriosa, "it is a life and a lifestyle. My life is about tuning in to my creative cycle, so I can be as prolific as possible. I also believe in following where my art takes me. Simply by doing and being open to the process; new methods, styles and ideas present themselves to me. When I am inspired, creating art is the most fulfilling and exciting experience. My mission is to explore, develop and push myself into new ways to express myself through art."

Ronan, who has a studio based practice in Gort, Co. Galway, but hails from Tralee agrees completely. and, over the last year, has developed an entirely new body of work. "It's my goal to make paintings that transcend their surface and in doing so become living things," he says. "I find that the most effective way for me to do this is by working with my own energy, the act of painting is my subject. I work with a sense of urgency, moving from canvas to canvas in quick succession. I focus on making the painting active and simple. I work towards creating shapes and colours that represent the reality within me."

Silke Michels is the third artist whose work features in the exhibition and it consists of digital photographic images of found objects, which she has documented over a period of two years. "I am intrigued by rustiness and decay of objects that have been placed in an 'unnatural' environment," says Silke. "Where do or where did these objects belong to in the first place? It's like discovering a different kind of beauty within an old rusty piece of material carelessly thrown away. What fascinates me about these objects is the way they have adapted to their new environment and become part of it. Nature's way of integration shows in color or shape, like seaweed growing out of an old shoe, or material that curves itself in the same way as the sand dunes it is draped in."

All three artists have strong Kerry connections. Muiriosa lives in Kerry and is also the curator and coordinator of the popular Reuben's Art Space on Ashe Street in Tralee. The Art Space organises monthly solo shows for artists. She graduated with a degree in Journalism in 2004 from Dublin City University and completed a postgraduate course in Fine Art in 2007 and has participated in a number of shows in Germany, Dublin, Cork and Kerry.

Ronan Smith, on the other hand, was born in Tralee and received a degree with distinction in Fine Art from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art in 2004, continuing his art education with a post graduate MA in Visual Arts Practice from Dun Laoghaire in 2006. He has been involved in many group and solo exhibitions throughout his academic career.

Silke Michels is German but lives and works in Dingle. Her background is in Fine Art, Design, Textiles and Photography.

The three artists all have different backgrounds but all are, in one way or another, inspired by the beauty of Kerry.