RHA Gallery

The IPUT Real Estate Artist in Residence Programme, 2019 – 2023, at Wilton Park Studios in Dublin, formed a direct response to the ever-increasing studio crisis in Dublin. IPUT Real Estate, Ireland’s leading property company, fully supported a facility with three studios, in collaboration with the RHA.

Thriving cities make room for creativity and the RHA is thrilled to have the support of another Dublin-based organisation dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of visual arts and artists in Ireland.

Fifteen artists were provided with fully supplemented 8-month-long residencies, at crucial stages in their careers, when such supports are vital.

Wilton Park Studios 2019 – 2023, is the title of a new exhibition at the RHA featuring work from this group of artists: Elizabeth Archbold, Alan Butler, Gary Coyle RHA, Cathy Dorman, Brendan Earley, Leah Hewson, Alan James Burns, Helen McMahon, Michelle Malone, Siobhan O’Callaghan, Alan Phelan, Una Sealy RHA, Anna Spearman, Corban Walker and Sarah Wren Wilson.

Wilton Park Studios 2019 – 2023 - an IPUT Real Estate initiative in association with the RHA
Dr. Tony Ryan Gallery
Until 20 October

The RHA Gallery is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11am - 5pm; Wednesday 11am - 6:30pm; and Sunday 12 - 5pm. Closed Monday.

Images: Photos from the opening night of the exhibition.
📷: courtesy of IPUT Real Estate Dublin.

Jennifer Trouton is a Belfast-based artist whose practice incorporates paint, embroidery, wallpaper, textiles and artefacts.

Formally her work appropriates the tropes of traditional still life painting, a genre that was traditionally associated with female artists due to their s*x barring them from acquiring the necessary anatomical knowledge to paint ‘high genre’ works of portraiture, history or religion.

'In Plain Sight' is an exhibition featuring large-scale and intimately sized works which balance themes that are historical, social and personal. Trouton plays with the still-life genre in compositions that are simultaneously traditional and darkly subversive.

Her colour palette evokes a calm sense of nostalgia that draws in her viewers, before asking them to consider Ireland’s uncomfortable relationship with women’s reproductive rights, one that is still evolving and is forever subject to the political and ideological mores of others.

Artist Talk - Jennifer Trouton
Wednesday 11 September, 5:30 - 6:30pm

Limited to thirty places - book your free ticket at rhagallery.ie/events/public-events/artist-tallk-jennifer-trouton

Jennifer Trouton - In Plain Sight
Petronella Brown & Pádraig O'hUiginn Galleries
6 September - 20 October

Image: Original Sin, detail, 2023, oil on linen. Image courtesy of the artist. Photography, Simon Mills.

Our new season of exhibitions opened with a preview yesterday evening - thank you to everyone who turned out for such a special night 👏

Now on show ⤵️

Vivienne Roche RHA, Abridged; Jennifer Trouton, In Plain Sight; Wilton Park Studios, 2019 to 2023, An IPUT Real Estate Initiative in association with the RHA; David Lunney, Silver Thicket; Louise Ward, The Colour of the Day; Our Place, AlanJames Burns, Sinead McCann with St John of God Liffey Services; and New Acquisitions from the RHA Collection.

The RHA Gallery is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11am - 5pm; Wednesday 11am - 6:30pm; and Sunday 12 - 5pm. Closed Monday.

See rhagallery.ie for more information (links to all exhibitions in our bio above).

More about the 'Our Place' project - opens this Friday at the RHA

Opening THIS Friday

'Threads of Making' is the title of a workshop by artist David Lunney in response to his RHA Ashford Gallery exhibition S'ilver Thicket', which opens on Friday.

In Lunney's practice, all surfaces are decorated and adorned, often with neat rows of colourful strings, wools, ribbons and beads.

Through the act of making Lunney will guide the participants through these processes and, in doing so, elucidate some of the formal and conceptual concerns of his practice.

Using the artist’s vast collection of haberdashery each participant will complete a small wrapped pictorial panel which they can bring home. If participants would like to bring a particular string, wool or other material they would like to incorporate into their panel they are encouraged to do so.

Limited places available. €25 per person.

See this link to book a place: rhagallery.ie/events/public-events/david-lunney-threads-of-making

This workshop is for adults only - please keep an eye on our website and social channels for details of upcoming children and young peoples programming.

Image courtesy of the artist.

The IPUT Real Estate Artist in Residence Programme, 2019 – 2023, at Wilton Park Studios in Dublin, formed a direct response to the ever-increasing studio crisis in Dublin. IPUT Real Estate, Ireland’s leading property company, fully supported a facility with three studios, in collaboration with the RHA.

Fifteen artists were provided with fully supplemented 8-month-long residencies, at crucial stages in their careers, when such supports are vital.

Wilton Park Studios 2019 – 2023, opening this Friday, is the title of an upcoming exhibition at the RHA featuring work from this group of artists: Elizabeth Archbold, Alan Butler, Gary Coyle RHA, Cathy Dorman, Brendan Earley, Leah Hewson, Alan James Burns, Helen McMahon, Michelle Malone, Siobhan O’Callaghan, Alan Phelan, Una Sealy RHA, Anna Spearman, Corban Walker and Sarah Wren Wilson.

Wilton Park Studios 2019 – 2023 - an IPUT Real Estate initiative in association with the RHA
Dr. Tony Ryan Gallery
6 September - 20 October

Learn more at rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/wilton-park-studios-2019-to-2023-an-iput-real-estate-initiative-in-association-with-the-rha

Images:

I. Michelle Malone, The Living Room, 26 Cloonlara Crescent. Digitally woven tapestry depicting Malone family council house sitting room in the late 80s. Year: 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.

II. AlanJames Burns, Artist’s Brain and Dialogue, 2014 – Ongoing, Single channel video, stereo sound, open captions. 4mins 15 sec, Image courtesy of the artist.

III. Alan Phelan, RGBTB, 2023 (ribbon suit). Acrylic and ink on canvas with painted ribbon, thread, tray frame. 30.5 x 30.5 cm. Image courtesy of the artist.

IV. Cathy Dorman, Tick Tock, 2024, Oil and Acrylic on linen, 150 x 120 cm, Image courtesy of the artist.

V. Leah Hewson, Sometimes I’m strong and vulnerable, 2024, Acrylic and Lacquer on Canvas, 160 x 160cm, Image courtesy of the artist.

‘Abridged’ is the title of the new exhibition from Vivienne Roche RHA, opening Friday 6th September - a major show of work including drawing, sculpture and video.

Sculpturally, Roche has worked with such media as steel, bronze, glass, wax, plaster, landscape, light and time, as well as with found materials such as those gifted by the tides near her home in Garrettstown, Co Cork.

She has taken her inspiration from sea and shore, wind and light, architecture and engineering, and has addressed issues ranging from climate change to the echoes of medieval archaeology. All are emotionally filtered through her own autobiography.

Watercolour, ink and photography are regular resources but foundational to all her work is a profound commitment to drawing. A line on paper is where all her work begins.

Vivienne Roche RHA
‘Abridged’ - RHA Gallagher Gallery
6 September - 17 November

Learn more: rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/vivienne-roche-rha-abridged

Images:

I. Void, 2022, watercolour pencil on watercolour paper, 130 x 230 cm.
II. The Wax Age, 204, limestone fossil and cast wax, 33 x 80 x 14 cm.
III. Fortress, Suomenlinna, 1991, oil pastel on paper, 128 x 178 cm, oil pastel on paper.

All images courtesy of Vivienne Roche RHA.

Jennifer Trouton’s masterclass will begin with a gallery tour of her exhibition ‘In Plain Sight’, where she will discuss her use of symbolism, wallpaper and fabric in the production of her work.

Participants will be invited to compose and paint a still life from artefacts and materials featured in the exhibition. Jennifer will demonstrate her process of working on paper mounted on board.

She will be available throughout the weekend to give individual advice on techniques and practical assistance.

Jennifer Trouton Masterclass
Saturday & Sunday, 12th & 13th October
11am - 5pm, €240 per person

Apply here: rhagallery.ie/events/masterclasses/jennifer-trouton-re-imaging-the-still-life

Image: One of Many, 2021, detail. Mixed media assemblage. Image courtesy of the artist. Photography, Simon Mills.

The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts School in partnership with Fingal Arts Office, is delighted to announce Eileen Leonard Sealy, an emerging visual artist from Howth, as the recipient of the 2024 Fingal County Council and RHA School Studio Award.

This prestigious award provides a funded studio space for the period of one year and offers the recipient an opportunity to develop their practice within the institutional framework of the RHA.

Sarah O’Neill, Fingal County Arts Officer, stated that “this award, which is closely aligned with the goals of the Arts Plan 2019 – 2025, reflects Fingal County Council’s ongoing commitment to nurturing artistic talent within our community. We eagerly look forward to supporting Eileen’s artistic journey and are excited to see the innovative work she will produce throughout her residency at the RHA.”

When asked about the award Eileen Leonard Sealy said “this opportunity could not have come at a better time as I am working towards my first solo exhibition in The Lab Gallery in 2025, and with studio space so hard to come by, it is pivotal support from Fingal and the RHA.”

Details at rhagallery.ie/news/fingal-county-council-and-the-rha-school-studio-award-2024

The IPUT Real Estate Artist in Residence Programme, 2019 – 2023, at Wilton Park Studios in Dublin, formed a direct response to the ever-increasing studio crisis in Dublin. IPUT Real Estate, Ireland’s leading property company, fully supported a facility with three studios, in collaboration with the RHA.

Thriving cities make room for creativity and the RHA is thrilled to have the support of another Dublin-based organisation dedicated to the encouragement and advancement of visual arts and artists in Ireland.

Fifteen artists were provided with fully supplemented 8-month-long residencies, at crucial stages in their careers, when such supports are vital.

Wilton Park Studios 2019 – 2023, is the title of an upcoming exhibition at the RHA featuring work from this group of artists: Elizabeth Archbold, Alan Butler, Gary Coyle RHA, Cathy Dorman, Brendan Earley, Leah Hewson, Alan James Burns, Helen McMahon, Michelle Malone, Siobhan O’Callaghan, Alan Phelan, Una Sealy RHA, Anna Spearman, Corban Walker and Sarah Wren Wilson.

Wilton Park Studios 2019 – 2023 - an IPUT Real Estate initiative in association with the RHA
Dr. Tony Ryan Gallery
6 September - 20 October

Details: rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/wilton-park-studios-2019-to-2023-an-iput-real-estate-initiative-in-association-with-the-rha

Images:

I. Michelle Malone, The Kitchen, 26 Cloonlara Crescent, 2022, Digitally woven tapestry depicting Malone family council house kitchen in the late 80s, 244 x 122 cm, Image courtesy of the artist.
II. Leah Hewson, Sometimes I’m strong and vulnerable, 2024, Acrylic and Lacquer on Canvas, 160 x 160cm, Image courtesy of the artist.
III. Cathy Dorman, Tick Tock, 2024, Oil and Acrylic on linen, 150 x 120 cm, Image courtesy of the artist.
IV. Alan Phelan, RGBCCTB, 2023 (ribbon jacket), Image courtesy of the artist.
V. AlanJames Burns, Artist’s Brain and Dialogue, 2014 – Ongoing, Single channel video, stereo sound, open captions. 4mins 15 sec, Image courtesy of the artist.

Our Place is the title of an upcoming exhibition at the RHA that champions the human rights of people living with intellectual disabilities.

Our Place creates access to cultural expression and cultural space by placing the ideas, talents and lived experience of people with intellectual disabilities at the centre of art-making and exhibition design.

Distinct sensory areas are designed within the gallery and include group and individual seating areas. Exhibition accessibility additionally includes Lámh, braille, audio and captioned descriptions.

Our Place is a collaboration between artists Sinead McCann and AlanJames Burns and St John of God Liffey Services that began as an online creative sound project titled Sound On! in 2020.

Our Place - RHA Friends Room
6 - 29 September

See rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/our-place for more information.

Our Place, exhibition image. Credit: Daniel Obina Moses, AlanJames Burns, Sinead McCann, Laura O’Keeffe.

In Plain Sight is an exhibition that started in the historical archives. It began as a series of stories hidden in medical records, coroners’ reports, witness statements, jury verdicts, newspaper clippings and incriminating letters from lovers and abortion providers.

Spanning two galleries within the RHA, this substantial project incorporating paint, embroidery, wallpaper, textiles and artefacts will mark Jennifer Trouton’s first solo exhibition in Dublin for ten years.

Jennifer Trouton - In Plain Sight
Petronella Brown & Pádraig O'hUiginn Galleries
6 September - 20 October

See here for details: rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/jennifer-trouton-in-plain-sight

Images:

I. One of Many, 2021, mixed media assemblage.
II. One of Many, detail, 2021, mixed media assemblage.
III. Original Sin, detail, 2023, oil on linen.

Images courtesy of the artist. Photography, Simon Mills.

In January 2022, the Marshall Building at 44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, opened its doors.

Designed by Grafton Architects, co-founded by Yvonne Farell RHA, for the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the building sits across the square from Sir John Soane’s Museum.

The current exhibition at the Irish Architectural Archive focuses on the relationship between the two buildings which face each other across London’s largest garden square.

The exhibition ends this Friday. The IAA is located at 45 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Opening hours: 10am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.

More info: irisharchitecturalarchive.ie/exhibition/neighbours-in-space-and-time-grafton-architects-at-sir-john-soanes-museum

In Jorge Luis Borges’ story, ‘The House of Asterion’, the protagonist pretends to be asleep, only to find that sometimes he really sleeps since, on opening his eyes, ‘the colour of the day has changed’. Colour is not only a feature of light and space: it belongs to the passing of time and the hues of consciousness itself.

Lousie Ward’s upcoming exhibition at the RHA is about perception and reality, sensorial experience, mirrors and shadows, nothing and being. Visibility of the frame, what is included and excluded, highlights the paradox of care and loss, illuminated by showing watercolour paintings subject to bleaching in a daylight-filled space.

The windows themselves are masked with a wash of paint to veil and protect the works inside, and prevent colours fading. Much like a shop front that has been whited out while it’s no longer in use, the Corner Gallery of the RHA was previously a store.

This exhibition marks the culmination of a year-long studio residency at the RHA, which the artist was awarded in 2023.

Louise Ward - The Colour of the Day
RHA Corner Gallery
6 September - 20 October

Details: rhagallery.ie/events/exhibitions/louise-ward-the-colour-of-the-day

Images:

I Table, 2024, Aquarelle and collage on panel, 33 x 23 cm. Photo by Louis Haugh.
II. Rose, 2024, Aquarelle and collage on panel, 33 x 23 cm. Photo by Louis Haugh.
III. Friendship, 2022, Aquarelle and collage on panel, 33 x 23 cm. Photo by Denis Mortell.

All Images courtesy of the artist.

We may be closed installing our upcoming September exhibitions, but remember that Margadh RHA Café & Wine Bar is open from Tuesday to Saturday every week.

The café is open Tuesday to Friday for breakfast and lunch. The wine bar is open Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm and for lunch on Saturdays.

See margadh-rha.ie for more.

David Lunney’s artistic practice involves the undertaking of protracted art processes. Typically, these processes start with the construction of site-specific or portable sculptural works which are brought to the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains.

These sculptures are generally created less for their inherent value but rather to provide photographic source material for documentary artworks. The resulting documentary artworks can take the form of prints, drawings or photographs.

These images are rendered, framed and presented in a fashion which intentionally obscures and embellishes the original object, vista and moment that they represent.

‘I work as an art technician and fine art picture framer. Familiarity with the tools and materials of this trade has been a boon to my practice. I have applied new and innovative framing techniques to existing tropes within my practice. This has resulted in a hyper-detailed idiosyncratic style of which I am very proud’. David Lunney

David Lunney - Silver Thicket
RHA Ashford Gallery
6 September - 6 October

Images:

I. Shortcut, 2022, mixed media, 52 x 68cm.
II. Fáinne, shirt design, 2023, Digital collage for t-shirt, Dimensions variable
III. Gorse Collector, 2024, Sculpture on site at Lugg Woods near Saggart. Mixed media, dimensions variable.
IV. Detail from "Timber Stacks", 2024, digital collage.

All image courtesy of David Lunney.

⏰ Applications for the Clare Island Studio Residency close tomorrow!

As part of the RHA Studios Programme, we are delighted to offer a two-month Clare Island Studio Residency through the generosity of a private benefactor. The successful artist will be in residence on the Co. Mayo island from the 1st October - 30th November this year.

Clare Island is located almost six kilometres off the west coast of County Mayo; the ferry crossing from Roonagh Pier takes approximately 25 minutes.

The island has 160 permanent residents, with a vibrant community offering a host of amenities and activities including a café, two bars, a food store and post office, walking, hiking, bike hire, yoga, archaeological sites, fishing and a beach. A Community Centre and a Heritage Centre are also located on the island.

Application deadline: Friday, 16th August at 5pm.

See rhagallery.ie/residencies-awards/clare-island/clare-island-studio-residency-2024 for full details.

‘Abridged’ is the title of the new exhibition from Vivienne Roche RHA, opening here on the 6th September. It’s a major show of work including drawing, sculpture and video.

“What does it mean to ‘abridge’? ‘To shorten by omission of words without sacrifice of sense’. This same act of selection and compression applies equally to the non-verbal, to visual meaning, to the works in this show. For each and every one of us, the range of detail in what we could potentially experience over our lives requires constant abridging. What then happens is that what we leave out ceases to matter, and what we leave in comes to matter most.” Vivienne Roche RHA

Sculpturally, Roche has worked with such media as steel, bronze, glass, wax, plaster, landscape, light and time, as well as with found materials such as those gifted by the tides near her home in Garrettstown, Co Cork.

She has taken her inspiration from sea and shore, wind and light, architecture and engineering, and has addressed issues ranging from climate change to the echoes of medieval archaeology. All are emotionally filtered through her own autobiography.

Watercolour, ink and photography are regular resources but foundational to all her work is a profound commitment to drawing. A line on paper is where all her work begins.

Vivienne Roche RHA
‘Abridged’ - RHA Gallagher Gallery
6 September - 17 November

Images:

I. The Wax Age, 204, limestone fossil and cast wax, 33 x 80 x 14 cm.
II. Fortress, Suomenlinna, 1991, oil pastel on paper, 128 x 178 cm.
III. Void, 2022, watercolour pencil on watercolour paper, 130 x 230 cm.

All images courtesy of Vivienne Roche RHA.

✏️ Just one more week left to apply...

As part of the RHA Studios Programme, we are delighted to offer a two-month Clare Island Studio Residency through the generosity of a private benefactor. The successful artist will be in residence on the Co. Mayo island from the 1st October - 30th November this year.

Clare Island is located almost six kilometres off the west coast of County Mayo; the ferry crossing from Roonagh Pier takes approximately 25 minutes.

The island has 160 permanent residents, with a vibrant community offering a host of amenities and activities including a café, two bars, a food store and post office, walking, hiking, bike hire, yoga, archaeological sites, fishing and a beach. A Community Centre and a Heritage Centre are also located on the island.

Application deadline: Friday, 16th August at 5pm.

Details: rhagallery.ie/residencies-awards/clare-island/clare-island-studio-residency-2024

An Post has issued a set of stamps featuring well known public art. There are over 1,500 such examples dotted around the country.

The stamps include pieces by Eileen MacDonagh RHA, Michael Quane RHA, Remco de Fouw RHA and Rachel Joynt RHA.

The four works featured in this set of stamps:

Perpetual Motion’ by Remco de Fouw RHA and Rachel Joynt RHA, located on the site of the Naas Bypass in Co. Kildare.

‘Tallaght X’ by Eileen Mac Donagh RHA, installed in Library Square in Tallaght, Co. Dublin.

‘Riders and Horses’ by Michael Quane RHA, located adjacent to the N20 on the Cork side of Mallow, Co. Cork.

‘Polestar’ by Locky Morris, located on a roundabout on the Derry Road, outside Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

See anpost.com/Shop/Products/Public-Art for details.

TODAY is the collection date for purchased and unsold artworks in this year’s Annual Exhibition. We're open from 11am - 4pm.

Collection after this date is by appointment only – please see rhagallery.ie/rha-annual/ for full details.

How would you like to spend two months on Clare Island this autumn?

We are delighted to offer a two-month Clare Island Studio Residency, part of the RHA Studios Programme, through the generosity of a private benefactor.

The successful artist will be in residence on the Co. Mayo island from the 1st October - 30th November this year.

Clare Island is located almost six kilometres off the west coast of County Mayo; the ferry crossing from Roonagh Pier takes approximately 25 minutes.

Application deadline: Friday, 16th August at 4pm.

See rhagallery.ie/residencies-awards/clare-island/clare-island-studio-residency-2024 for full details.

The collection date for purchased and unsold artworks in this year’s Annual Exhibition is this Wednesday, 7th August, from 11am - 4pm.

Collection after this date is by appointment only – please email our Front of House team at [email protected] to make a collection appointment.

Please note that artists need time to produce works in edition and therefore collection of works in edition will be by appointment only. Please email RHA Curator Sarah McAuliffe at [email protected] for further details regarding collection dates.

Our galleries are currently closed as we take down the 194th RHA Annual Exhibition and prepare for the new Autumn exhibitions which open on Friday, 6th September.

This Wednesday is the collection date for purchased and unsold artworks from the Annual Exhibition. We will be open for collection from 11am - 4pm.

Collection after this date is by appointment only – please email our Front of House team at [email protected] to make a collection appointment.

Please note that artists need time to produce works in edition and therefore collection of works in edition will be by appointment only. Please email RHA Curator Sarah McAuliffe at [email protected] for further details regarding collection dates.

Our final work from the 194th RHA Annual Exhibition is a copy of this year’s catalogue 📚.

It’s packed with wonderful images and details on all the 389 artists who exhibited in this year’s Annual Exhibition, showcasing painting, sculpture, print, photography, mixed media, drawing and architectural models.

The RHA is open until 5pm today - don’t miss out on your last chance to catch the exhibition (and grab a catalogue too…).

It’s the final day of the 194th RHA Annual Exhibition. We’re open from 12 - 5pm - don’t miss this last chance to see this year’s show!

We’d like to thank the many thousands who visited the Annual, the exhibiting artists and all who purchased art since the exhibition opened on the 20th May.

You can still view and purchase art from the Annual Exhibition online at rhagallery.viewingrooms.com

194th RHA Annual Exhibition - ends today, Sunday, 4th August.

Photo: Paul Sherwood.

Our penultimate work from the 194th RHA Annual Exhibition is this sun-dappled scene by Mary A Kelly.

Mary is one of 389 artists exhibiting in this year’s Annual Exhibition, showcasing painting, sculpture, print, photography, mixed media, drawing and architectural models.

The gallery is open until 5pm today and from 12 - 5pm tomorrow, the last day of the Annual Exhibition.

Image: Mary A Kelly, ‘Holding the pieces in some frame’. Oil, 150 x 120cm. Image courtesy of the artist.

We’re into the last two days and the final weekend to see the 194th RHA Annual Exhibition!

With work for sale across the mediums of paint, sculpture, drawing, print, photography, and architecture, the RHA Annual Exhibition has something for everyone.

We’re open until 5pm today and Sunday 12 - 5pm.

View and purchase art here - rhagallery.viewingrooms.com

194th RHA Annual Exhibition - ends this Sunday, 4th August.

Photo: Paul Sherwood.