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We hope you will enjoy our 'Wee Weekly ABC' guide to the wonderful selection of Art, Books and Crafts from Northern Ireland we are lucky to have on display in the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels.
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Amazing Art:
Sunset at Sea by James MacKeever
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James MacKeever is primarily known for his sculptures which, while being contemporary, contain reflections of a much longer history, with motifs and styles echoing the artworks of ancient civilisations. He is a long standing member of the Royal Ulster Academy of the Arts and a widely respected and collected artist. More recently he has begun to produce a significant body of paintings with a new dynamic style. This dazzling sunset piece is on display in our Narnia event room alongside Brewing Storm, an equally stunning seaside piece by the artist, which complement each other beautifully. You can view and purchase pieces from James' gorgeous collection of paintings and sculptures here.
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Brilliant Book:
Female Lines: New Writing by Women from Northern Ireland
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Trans-genre in contents and including both experienced and newer women writers, the landmark anthology Female Lines: New Writing by Women from Northern Ireland, edited by Linda Anderson and Dawn Miranda Sherratt-Bado, features women writers playing with different modes, forms, and innovations; from magical realism and surrealism to multi-perspective narratives and humour – and celebrates fiction, poetry, drama, essays, life writing, and photography.
Neil Hegarty of the Irish Times said: "A glance at its list of thirty-two contributors underscores the point that this small and marginal society has generated more than its fair share of significant artists; while the writing itself underlines the existence of a great breadth of lives, interests and human experiences at play."
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Female Lines considers how much has changed or stayed the same in terms of scope and opportunity for women writers and for women more generally in Northern Irish society (and its diaspora) in the post-Good Friday Agreement era. Get your copy of this compelling book of women's writing here.
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Charming Craft:
Joy Pot by Anna Smyth
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From her ceramics studio based in County Down, Anna Smyth creates thrown, sculptural porcelain vessels, imbued with meaning, inspired by observations and reflection on life. Her current work focuses on the ongoing development of crystalline glazes in which crystals form during the firing, adding a further layer of significance to her work, symbolising life and vitality. Anna told us: “This porcelain piece was made for my solo exhibition last November entitled 'Inner Journeys...', an exhibition of almost 200 porcelain vessels which each contained a beautiful glaze in which crystals had formed during an arduous firing. I dedicated it to all of us on our journey, the miracle of the human body and the tenacity of the human spirit; the treasure within.
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"The exhibition was intended as a positive, inspirational, post pandemic response, and drew parallels between the porcelain vessels and ourselves, each of us, unique, complex, navigating our difficult journey through challenge and difficulty, potentially growing in strength and beauty on the inside. I have recently been advised in feedback from judges of a prestigious Irish craft competition that my work is 'ready for international audiences', and that I must now take it to that next level. An exciting, daunting prospect, but the timely news that my work sits in Brussels is a massive encouragement and a step in the right direction.” To find out how you can get your hands on these gorgeous pieces, click here.
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