Remarkable artistic partnership of Tony and Jane O'Malley to be celebrated in Kilkenny

Few artistic partnerships in Irish art are as enduring or as deeply intertwined as that of Tony O’Malley (1913-2003) and Jane O’Malley (1944-2023). United by a shared passion for painting, travel and observation, their relationship was built upon mutual encouragement and unwavering respect for one another’s individual creative voices.

Although each developed a distinctive artistic practice, their work remained in constant dialogue through the studios and landscapes they inhabited together.

Their story began in the artistic community of St Ives, Cornwall, during the late 1970s. At the time, St Ives was a vibrant centre for modern art, attracting painters, sculptors and printmakers inspired by its extraordinary quality of light and dramatic coastline. Tony, a Kilkenny native, had already established himself within this influential artistic circle, where his practice shifted increasingly towards abstract, expressive colour and a response to place. Jane, then a young Canadian artist developing her own distinctive voice, found both creative inspiration and companionship with Tony. Their studio in St Ives became the foundation of a lifelong artistic partnership, where conversation, experimentation and shared experience informed both their practices.

Their artistic lives extended far beyond Cornwall. Throughout the years they travelled extensively, finding inspiration in the vivid colours and luminous light of the Bahamas. The tropical landscape introduced a new intensity to their palettes, with vibrant blues, radiant yellows and pinks. While Tony often distilled these experiences into increasingly abstract compositions that captured atmosphere and sensation, Jane embraced the richness of gardens, interiors and still life. Their travels reinforced a shared belief that place could transform artistic expression.

Despite their international outlook, Callan, County Kilkenny, became the emotional centre of their lives together. Their beautiful home and studio at Physicianstown evolved into far more than a workspace, it became a place of collaboration, reflection and continual creative exchange. Looking out onto the carefully cultivated gardens designed by Jane, the shared studio provided both artists with daily inspiration.

Tony & Jane O’Malley: The Shared Studio celebrates this remarkable artistic partnership while marking a very important moment in the Gallery’s history. Following Jane O’Malley’s generous bequest of both artists’ estates to Butler Gallery, this major building-wide exhibition offers the most comprehensive exploration yet of their shared creative life. Running from August 8th to October 26th, the exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, personal archives and reconstructed studio spaces that reveal not only the finished artworks but also the processes, rituals and environments that shaped them.

Visitors will encounter original studio pieces left untouched since the artists’ deaths, Jane’s unfinished tapestry on her loom, treasured personal objects, Tony and Jane’s work tables and Tony’s final painting, and a virtual tour of the studio and garden. These intimate elements of their lives will sit alongside significant works spanning decades of artistic production, many of which have never been seen. In the gallery café there will be a number of original artist prints for sale and in the downstairs hallway visitors will be invited to share their memories of Tony and Jane and reflections on their story. There will be a number of talks and events on throughout the exhibition run which will be advertised through the Butler Gallery website (www.butlergallery.ie)

We invite visitors to come and immerse themselves in the world of Tony and Jane O’Malley and learn more about how these two extraordinary artists added to the story of modern Irish art. Their generosity ensuring that future generations can continue to discover and be inspired by the remarkable world they created together.

This exhibition is presented in association with Kilkenny Arts Festival and funded by The Arts Council, with additional support provided by Brian Baum in loving memory of Úna Wilson, and with added support from Kilkenny County Council and Taylor Galleries.

Tony & Jane O’Malley: The Shared Studio

In association with Kilkenny Arts Festival

August 8 – 26th October 26

Butler Gallery