Art at Ardhowen

May 25

Hambly & Hambly Presents ‘Time-Lapse’, an exhibition of work by Visual Artist And Poet Maria Noonan-McDermott in association with Fermanagh & Omagh District Council at the Ardhowen Theatre Gallery in Enniskillen.

This is the second showing of the ‘Time-Lapse’ touring exhibition. Each space is varied and distinct which enabled the curator, Ciara Hambly to create a unique site specific exhibition for both the artist and the audience to experience. This exhibition encomposses a collection of original poetry and a large selection of paintings.

The exhibition runs from 23rd May - 27th Aug 2022

For all information, contact Ciara at www.hamblyandhambly.com

Alternatively, you can link to the Hambly & Hambly Gallery on the Galleries section of my website…

Maria writes...

‘‘We all suffer loss, but life continues in the stories we tell and the cherished memories we share. It is a testament to the ones we love, and that love is more than just reminiscences, it is an emotion which resides deep within our heart and soul, so that they can never be forgotten.

This is the premise of my solo exhibition, ‘Time-Lapse’. It is a concept that I have been unwittingly working towards for the past number of years while helping care for my beautiful mother who had Alzheimers.

This entire collection reflects the joys and challenges I have endured personally and within my creative practice throughout those years. A quiet time of observation in which I leaned heavily on my art, surrounded by the beauty of the landscape, as a means of acceptance and healing. I realise now that I have been gifted a profound experience which I would like to share with others’’.

Maria Noonan-McDermott

Irish Artist Maria Noonan-McDermott Bio

Originally from Donegal, Irish artist and poet Maria Noonan McDermott now lives and works from her studio in Kinlough, Co. Leitrim.

Heavily influenced by the impressionist movement, her work focuses on the study of light and form in Irish landscapes.

With a love of folklore and story-telling, Noonan McDermott's influences lie in rural Ireland, it is in these magical places that share a colloquial history where stories and the people are often ingrained into the landscape.

I began my artistic career in Dublin in 1985 and qualified in Fashion and Design. I returned to college and completed a certificate in visual education before continuing on to study Fine Art. In the year 1990, I had my first solo exhibition of paintings. The feedback and encouragement I received helped direct me on my current path.

My work has always been influenced by a deep connection with the natural environment, the beautiful rugged Irish landscape with its endlessly changing skies and dramatic seas. I am equally fascinated by the people that the land holds so tightly and am firmly bound in kinship with their poetic writing, their stories and soulful lyrics.

I've always been in awe of the storyteller, those gifted people who so fluidly guide you into their fantasy worlds, who submerge you so deeply, you cry, laugh and often seethe with anger and frustration. To me, this is true magic, possessing the rare skill of creating something from nothing, evoking such passion and emotion.

Growing up I found words didn't come so easily to me, art and writing became my outlet. I was transformed into the 'Cailleach Feasa', the storyteller. I recorded and recollected all the tales from times gone by, breathing life back into places and quirky characters I met along the way.

I was raised in a small village in Donegal and like most small communities in Ireland, it was filled with the most amazing characters.

As a child, my head was filled with fantastical stories told and dramatised by neighbours and family, the gatekeepers of local history. These tales, were, of course, exaggerated and embellished with such fun and gusto, like only true Irish seanchai can, that I couldn't help growing up with a great love of the people around me and all their fascinating antics.

In my work, I narrate the stories with colour and humour as over the years they've formed and shaped in my memory.
My paintings become the text and you the reader and as the reader, you are challenged to participate and choose your own journey. Thus, enabling the story to live all over again!

This attachment is ingrained in my work and I strive to bring forth its warmth in the most honest and pure way I know how.

https://www.marianoonan-mcdermott.com

Art at Ardhowen

‘Timelapse’ Solo Exhibition At Ardhowen Theatre Gallery, Enniskillen.

VAN, Visual Artists Newsletter, my written piece for the Members Profile section

©Maria Noonan-McDermott Artist