Marie Holohan | Hook Lighthouse | 2021 | Acrylic on Canvas

For Culture night 2023 the Arts Council will once again proudly showcase a selection of works recently added to its extensive Visual Art Collection.

To celebrate the evening we are sharing some insight on each of the artist and artworks which will be on display:

‘Marie Holohan is a founding member of the Arts Ability Studio group at CUMAS. A meticulous painter, Marie’s work features surreal patterns and vibrant colours to create vivid, detailed paintings which build highly imaginative and dreamlike landscapes. The starting point for these paintings is usually a photographic image, but this is quickly discarded and her natural creativity leads her to depict vivid landscapes and strange new realities. Using acrylic on canvas, Marie’s primary concern is colour which she applies in controlled, linear patterns that lead the eye through the painting, tracing the dimensions of her created worlds. Marie fearlessly directs these colours, and although her application is controlled and precise, the work remains incredibly free and unforced, which serves to highlight her paint handling skills.

Marie has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally significant exhibition are ‘ One woman ‘ a solo show at the Wexford Arts Centre in 2016. ‘Beyond’ an national exhibition curated by Brent Pope and Perceptions 2016 at the Crawford Gallery Cork.  She has work in private and public collection such as the Crawford Art Gallery, Loftis Hall and the Wexford County Council Art Collection.’

The Arts Council Collection was established in 1962 and now comprises almost 1,350 works of modern and contemporary Irish art.

This year we are delighted to once again welcome audiences to the Arts Council buildings on Merrion Square to engage with some our most recent acquisitions.

Works by many of Ireland’s leading artists will be shown on the night including pieces by: Elizabeth Cope, Miriam De Búrca, Mollie Douthit, Justin Fitzpatrick, Marie Holohan, Helen Hughes, Catriona Leahy, Jialin Long, Kevin Mooney, Doireann Ní Ghrioghair, Emma Roche, Mark Swords, Amna Walayat and Orla Whelan.

As well as this glimpse into the Arts Council Collection for Culture Night, artworks can be seen all year round throughout the country as part of exhibitions and long term loans in public buildings such as hospitals, universities and schools.

Explore the Collection and more on our website here.