Kilkenny artist’s haunting image wows Ulster show patrons

A Kilkenny artist’s work was one of the most popular at this year’s Royal Ulster Academy (RUA) show.
Artist and gallery owner, Valerie Walshe, had two pieces selected for the highly prestigious annual event this year which opened in Belfast in late October.
One of the works, which is titled ‘Bandstand’ (right), was taken on a winter’s morning in Clontarf. It has the highly atmospheric and cinematographic quality, Walshe’s trademark.
Its luminosity and beauty have made this piece and series of work particularly sought after.
Success

Another Walshe work is Key, a piece printed on metal, is a work of art that has had the most commercial success at the RUA. Another piece created by Valerie, Key, was produced in Sicily in 2017 where the artist and her partner painter Dermot McNevin spend their summers.
It depicts a very old door and key with a lock in the shape of a heart, it is a reflection of what captures the artists imagination and the Japanese Wabi Sabi philosophy she explores in her work, the acceptance of imperfection and transience.
The old and worn in the case of Key becoming something quite beautiful. Valerie has a selection of her own work available at her gallery The Blackbird Gallery which is enjoying huge success in its new location Rothe House Kilkenny.