Inspired Journeys, this new exhibition of three very different artists, embodies the essence of our collective and individual artistic explorations. Through this exhibition, it is hoped the audience will be taken on a journey of inspiration, discovery, and connection, as each artwork unfolds a unique story and experience.
Inspired Journeys will be open daily in KAVA, the Courthouse in Kinvara from Friday the 23rd of August until Sunday the 1st of September 2024. There will be an opening reception on Friday the 23rd at 7:00pm, all are welcome, this is a free event.
About the Art/Artists:
Mavis Gormally:
Mavis says about her work:
“I respond to the landscapes, seascapes and animals in my area. My work reflects reality and I often enjoy rearranging the order of the things I see. I am fascinated with the contrasts and harmonies found in nature. Each piece I create is a journey into my inner world. I invite viewers of my work to experience their own journey in relation to their own emotional and imaginative explorations.”
Originally from New York, Mavis is an artist deeply connected to the Irish countryside, particularly the serene beauty of County Galway. Mavis developed a profound connection to her Irish heritage as a child living on Long Island. She was immersed in a culture rich with stories, traditions, and a profound appreciation for nature. This background has significantly influenced her artistic vision, infusing her work with a sense of history, identity, and connection to the environment.
Today, Mavis is a dedicated fine artist whose work reflects a deep love and nostalgia for both her New York roots and her cherished home in County Galway. Her paintings are in private collections across Ireland, Europe, and the United States. Her journey as an artist underscores the transformative power of art, its ability to heal, inspire, and create a profound sense of belonging.
Kathryna Cuschieri:
Kathryna was born in Malta and has been resident in Ireland since 1993 where she set up her glass studio, Fire Works Studio in the rural and picturesque Glendree, Co. Clare. Kathryna is motivated and influenced by her inner world of visions, magical images and fairy tale. Through the fabulous flexible potential of hot glass, she balances the fragility of the material to express this dream world that informs the collective consciousness, examining the cultural impact in modern life.
Kathryna say about her work:
“Glass: A hard and brittle substance, typically transparent or translucent. It is made by fusing sand with soda and lime and cooling rapidly. I use the flexible potential and properties of hot glass to explore the emotions that carry our inner world of visions, images and fairy tales. Fairy tales have become a core part of the individual and collective mind. I am interested in the deep influence they have on cultural development and how they affect the context of our lives. These stories whether traditional, modern or spun from parents’ creativity become our personal myths and run beneath our living perceptions and expectations. I am moved and intrigued by the way the inner world of the stories we hold influences the outer life and endeavour to weave these worlds together. I cast parts or all of the human body as the vehicle to make this magical interrelation of existence visible and tactile. It is an alchemist process of bringing what is ordinarily hidden out into the light, working with the individual’s underlying soul story which impacts their lives transmuting it into the mould. Glass is a fabulous medium for this work and expresses this dream world as a visual life-scape running through the final Artwork in Glass.”
Her works have been commissioned for a variety of settings from private homes to schools, hospitals and corporate and government buildings.
Terri Smith:
Terri, from the earliest days harboured a fascination with drawing. In 1994, she embarked on a journey that led her to Ireland. Years later, in 2012, she began working as a freelance illustrator, specialising in children’s books. Her evolution moved from those monochromatic pencil sketches of her youth, into vibrant ink paintings in adulthood. Her work was often referred to as ‘whimsical,’ although she wasn’t always sure she understood what was meant by this label.
Yet, life is rarely a straight line, and an artistic path often reflects this. As her personal voyage unfolded, her creations took a turn toward the shadows—a fleeting darkness that danced alongside the whimsy. This duality appears to be the essence of human experience: figurative light and shadow, entwined together in a never-ending performance. Her personal journey has taught her that whimsy and darkness can be truly appreciated when both sides of the spectrum coexist.
