New Works by Mercè Cañadell, Nell Collins, Deirdre Crowley,
Charlo Quain & Cormac O'Leary.

The Kenny Gallery will make use of their increased gallery space to host a mixed media show by five artists on June 29th. They are: Mercè Cañadell - bronze sculpture; Charlo Quain - abstracts; Cormac O'Leary - townscapes; Nell Collins - playful and childlike colourscapes; Deirdre Crowley - West Cork landscapes.

Mercè Cañadell was born in Barcelona in 1960. She studied in the Massana School of Art and obtained a Degree from the Higher Sculpture Programme in 1993. She also completed a course at Barcelona's Ceramic Council and Commercial Interior Design College. Mercè loves Ireland, and has settled into her sculpture studio in Dublin with other European artists.

When Mercè came to Ireland, she heard about the paintings of Jack. B. Yeats and went to the National Gallery to view his work. She immediately fell in love with his interpretation of horses. She feels that every horse represents a different culture, Greek, Irish and Spanish are all so different. Each horse is unique.

She patinates and polishes her own work in bronze. Her pieces are matchless; they are first hand modelled in wax, patinated and polished to a unique formula with no reproductions. She is passionate about Celtic myths like Fionn Mac Cumhail & the Salmon of knowledge or Oisin's journey to the other world did not take place until he met Niamh and brought her for a ride on their first date together. Mercè is fascinated by Irish mythology and her work is influenced by the knowledge she has gained about Irish legend since arriving here a few years ago. Wood is a live material, representing the years and the circle of life.

Nell Collins: "I was born in 1973. I grew up in the countryside where I started to paint from an early age. I went to UCC to study the social and academic side of art, there I obtained a Masters Degree in Sociology with my thesis on primitivism in art. Throughout this time I was also installed in Pine street studios as a working artist. I currently live in Paris where I continue to paint and exhibit both as a solo artist and in group shows.

The recent works revolve around the central themes of parent/child in the 'golden dogs' series and the inner life of the city dweller in the 'city girl' series. The golden dogs are an animal-human chimera which personify lifegiver/protector. The dogs stand benevolent as the infantile characters play in their shadow. The city girl series is inspired by Paris, an exploration of movement colour and speed within the individual.

The pieces are playful, childlike and rich in ambience and colour. I used Iayen of texture to create a sense of pictorial history and complexity with simple forms. They strive to convey love, life and vitality. They do this always with a sense of humour and innocence. They are for me my hand on the wall in the CaVe."

Deirdre Crowley was born in Bandon, co.Cork in 1966. In 1988 she graduated from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, with an honours degree in Fine Art.

"The work for this exhibition is as a result of my preoccupation with the life and energy of the place where I live - West Cork. The sea is a constant source of inspiration, it's movement, sound, power and everchanging nature, which never looks the same, inspires me daily. Fields and their quirky patterns and shapes dominate much of West Cork, where sheds and farm buildings dapple the landscape in between all that green! Everywhere I look from my house in Kilbrittan is a painting - it's hard top decide what aspects of the place to pick sometimes, like a child in a sweetshop I can safely say no matter where I walk or drive within a twenty mile radius, I am completely 'spoiled for choice'.

The places in my work are special to me, but it's feeling and mood of a place that becomes engraved in my mind so when I'm in my studio working it's easy to call up the visual and spiritual feeling from the places I love. Everything in life is momentary and transient and I try to grasp what I can and seize the day, the moment, the essence of the place in everything I create."

Cormac O'Leary was born in Cork and grew up in Sligo. "I was very lucky, I grew up in a house that was full of paintings and artists. I was always drawing as a child, and just continued doing it". His father John was a distinguished painter and a charismatic teacher, and was a major influence. Cormac graduated with a diploma in fine art from Sligo RTC, and then lived in Spain for a time. He worked in Sligo Art Gallery before devoting himself to painting full time.

His father's great lesson... "Drawing is the basis for everything. You should produce a drawing a day" is still adhered to. He works primarily in oils and his reputation is growing. "I enjoy the abstract quality of paint and I work in layers. I am conscious of when it is complete as I know how easy it is to overdo it, not knowing when to stop - if you do that you lose the spontaneity and it becomes overworked. I may look at a piece that is not my favourite and try to work out what I did wrong, but I cannot often work back - it is all to do with what comes out when that image begins to take over".

Charlo Quain was born in Cork in 1939. He attended U.C.D architectural faculty where the discipline of draughtsmanship ,"introduced me to the blood, sweat and tears of the visual arts.

I studied under Somhairle McCana and John O'Leary at the Crawford Municipal School of Art in Cork. Having survived that initial period of formal training in the early sixties, which as I recall was devoted mostly to painting still life subjects with poster colours. I still wanted to paint. My subject matter is basically the Irish landscape as seen and remembered through the eyes at a staunch 'townie'.

I love the idea of the countryside but after a few days immersed in it I pine for the concrete, fumes and decaying fabric of the city."

Charlo has had several solo exhibitions and his work has featured in all of the main national group shows down the years. His work is held in the collections of Crawford Municipal Gallery, Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland in Cork.