Odysseys of Self by Tina O’ Connell
Limerick City Gallery of Art, Pery Square, Limerick
12th September – 6th October 2024
An exhibition by award-winning Clare artist and autobiographical sculptor Tina O’Connell will open today (Thursday) at the Limerick City Gallery of Art.
From Lisdoonvarna, Tina O’ Connell is the recipient of the Limerick City Gallery of Art/LCGA Graduate Exhibition Award, 2024. This award is an annual award made by Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) to a graduate of LSAD who demonstrates ambition and dedication to their practice.
“Tina O’ Connell’s work in her degree show met those criteria admirably,” said Director/Curator of LCGA, Úna McCarthy.
O’ Connell says that her sculptures invite viewers to journey with her, using humour as a lens to contemplate the evolution of family dynamics and the preservation of moral values in an ever-changing Ireland.
The works are autobiographical narratives, sculpted reflections of her experiences navigating the complex realms of memory, motherhood, mental health and contemporary society.
Growing up the daughter of a carpenter, O’ Connell uses locally sourced wood, often reclaimed from felled trees due to rot or overgrowth. She carries on this legacy by employing both traditional and contemporary carving techniques to make sculpture that bridge the past and the present.
Earlier this year, the Limerick School of Art and Design Graduate in Sculpture & Combined Media was also named winner of the prestigious 2024 Global Travel Award.