Exhibition shines light on female artists

The FE McWilliam Gallery and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council are presenting a new exhibition, entitled ‘Penumbra’.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Feb 2020, 11:59 BST
Opening of "Penumbra" Exhibition at FE McWilliam Gallery 15th February 2020, featuring the work of eight artists: Sinéad Aldridge, Hannah Casey-Brogan, Susan Connolly, Sarah Dwyer, Fiona Finnegan, Alison Pilkington, Yasmine Robinson, Louise Wallace, and co-curated by Dr Riann Coulter of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Dr Louise Wallace of Ulster University, Penumbra brings together artists who are connected by their gender, their associations with the island of Ireland and their commitment to testing the limits of painting. ©Edward Byrne PhotographyOpening of "Penumbra" Exhibition at FE McWilliam Gallery 15th February 2020, featuring the work of eight artists: Sinéad Aldridge, Hannah Casey-Brogan, Susan Connolly, Sarah Dwyer, Fiona Finnegan, Alison Pilkington, Yasmine Robinson, Louise Wallace, and co-curated by Dr Riann Coulter of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Dr Louise Wallace of Ulster University, Penumbra brings together artists who are connected by their gender, their associations with the island of Ireland and their commitment to testing the limits of painting. ©Edward Byrne Photography
Opening of "Penumbra" Exhibition at FE McWilliam Gallery 15th February 2020, featuring the work of eight artists: Sinéad Aldridge, Hannah Casey-Brogan, Susan Connolly, Sarah Dwyer, Fiona Finnegan, Alison Pilkington, Yasmine Robinson, Louise Wallace, and co-curated by Dr Riann Coulter of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Dr Louise Wallace of Ulster University, Penumbra brings together artists who are connected by their gender, their associations with the island of Ireland and their commitment to testing the limits of painting. ©Edward Byrne Photography

It will display contemporary painting at the Banbridge arts venue until May 30.

Featuring the work of eight artists: Sinéad Aldridge, Hannah Casey-Brogan, Susan Connolly, Sarah Dwyer, Fiona Finnegan, Alison Pilkington, Yasmine Robinson, Louise Wallace, and co-curated by Dr Riann Coulter of the FE McWilliam Gallery and Dr Louise Wallace of Ulster University, Penumbra brings together artists who are connected by their gender, their associations with the island of Ireland and their commitment to testing the limits of painting.

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Penumbra can be understood in relation to a number of historical and contemporary exhibitions of Irish female artists, including most recently, Elliptical Affinities: Irish Women Artists and the Politics of the Body 1984 to the Present, at their cross-border partner, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda.

Like its predecessors, Penumbra seeks to address the historical under-representation of women artists in museums and galleries and to shine a light on the wealth of talented contemporary female painters from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Although the artists in Penumbra are united by their gender, their dedication to painting in its broadest sense and their varied connections to Ireland and Northern Ireland are also significant points of connection. Whether they live here, or elsewhere, each artist and their work has been shaped by their individual relationships to place.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Dr Cherie Driver, Ulster University.

A seminar on the themes explored in the exhibition will be held in the gallery on Friday, April 3, from 1pm-4.30pm.

Admission to the exhibition is free. More details at femcwilliam.com

Related topics:BanbridgeLouise WallaceArmagh CityCraigavon Borough Council