New art exhibition at the Riverbank Arts Centre

Near Faraway Places is a two person exhibition, which brings together the work of artists Brianna Hurley and Thomas Barron to speak to the idea of ‘places’ that are both close and distant, familiar and unfamiliar, clear and indecipherable.

Both artists are members of the KCAT studio Kilkenny. This exhibition will be held at the McKenna Gallery from Thursday 11 July to Friday 2 August.

It will be open to the public from Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 5pm and on Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free.

Brianna Hurley has shown widely, including at Visual Carlow and Farmleigh House Galleries Dublin and has work in the National Collection at the Crawford Gallery Cork.

She combines acrylic paint, pencil and acrylic marker to depict scenarios of peace and conflict on the beautiful imagined planet of Castalia, with its inhabitants often surrounded by lush natural environments with blue flowing rivers and seas, the rich red earth of a hot climate, and beautiful trees frequently coated in masses of white buds.

Thomas Barron has exhibited nationally and internationally for over two decades, including at Kaarisilta Gallery Finland, Gallery Prabelli Luxembourg and Crawford Gallery Cork.

Many of his beautifully composed and colourful abstract paintings convey a sense of large building facades with multiple windows, while others invoke aerial views of multi-coloured landscapes.

A remarkable equilibrium between formal elements is sought and maintained within Thomas’ work, which seem as though speaking to inner states in which balance is made possible and peace can prevail, if even momentarily.

As part of Near Faraway Places Brianna will host a Drawing and Painting Workshop on Wednesday 17 July at 10:30am.

Further information available from the Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge — www.riverbank.ie