Talented Derry trio exhibiting art in Eden Place

Three uber talented young Derry artists are staging an exhibition in the city to mark International Women’s Day (March 8).

Colleen McSheffery and twin sisters Amber and Leona McLaughlin will be displaying their work in Eden Place Arts Centre, in the Bogside’s iconic Pilots Row community centre.

International Women's Day exhibition in Eden Place Arts Centre.

The exhibition previews on Thursday, March 7, from 1.00pm to 2.00pm and curator, Judi Logue, said everyone was very welcome. It will then continue until March 15, Monday to Friday, from 10.00am to 7.00pm.

Speaking to Derry News, the artists revealed their close relationship with one another.

Remarkably, all three had been in the same class in primary school and the same art class at St Cecilia’s College in Derry.

They had also been in the same class in North West Regional College, where they studied the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.

And now, they are all in their final year at Ulster University, Belfast, School of Art studying Fine Art BA (Honours) - Painting.

So, as well as preparing their International Women’s Day exhibition, Colleen, Amber and Leona are working towards their university degree show in June.

Amber said having an International Women’s Day exhibition in Eden Place Arts Centre was “amazing”.

“Local women artists having the chance to have an exhibition locally is a fantastic opportunity,” she said.

The original idea for the exhibition came from Caoimhe McCafferty, a youth leader within Pilots Row. She approached Judi and Judi approached Colleen.

“I grew up in Glenfada Park,” said Colleen. “I went to Pilots Row Youth Club when I was younger and we always had art classes there. We always had that connection between the Youth Club and Eden Place Arts Centre.

“I didn’t want to do my first exhibition by myself. It was kind of daunting and then Caoimhe told me Judi wanted local artists in the exhibition. So, I asked Amber and Leona to join me because I thought then it would be nice. We grew up together and we did art together.

“It  just felt like it fitted better. It was a full circle moment to have these two along with me. I asked them and they said ‘Aye’,” smiled Colleen.

Amber said she had 10 pieces in the exhibition.

“I am nervous but happy and excited about it,” she confided. “I think it is nice to have an exhibition where I am from because local people can see your work.

“I feel that is a better way to start rather than going into Belfast. This is more personal. It is nice.

“I have three pieces from my university final year show in the International Women’s Day exhibition. My inspiration is the skinhead subculture. That’s what my third year pieces are all about. My work before this was more self-portraits and portraits of Leona and Colleen and my friends.

“My art is around women. That is my inspiration, the prompt. It made more sense to have paintings of women on International Women’s Day. I have portraits of Leona and my friend Holly who are local. As well as portraits of skinheads painted from Photographs taken in the 1970s and 1980s.”

Amber added she felt when it came to skinhead subculture, it was always men who were the image of it.

“But, I felt women were more interesting so that is why I decided to paint them instead. I felt women were less used as a topic.

“I was a skinhead back in the day when I was 17 and 18 and I really enjoyed it. There was a great sense of community and all the music was good. They were a nice group of people.

“Unfortunately, it seems now there is less of that. After covid the music scene especially just became nothing. All the groups have ended and there is not that sense of community anymore,” reflected Amber.

Colleen, who has 10 to 15 pieces in the International Women’s Day exhibition described her work as being “small scale on a wall compared to Amber or Leona’s.

“Mine would look pretty condensed and I would only need one wall,” she added.

“The inspiration for my work, which is a mix of personal work and university work, is ‘moments of comfort’ and I have local women within that. I have a portrait of Roisin Barton.

“‘Moments of comfort’ is about intimate moments and how we overlook the simple moments of life. How we overlook simplicity and how you should be holding onto them because they really are important.

“I have a portrait of a mother and a daughter in the morning brushing and the mother is brushing her daughter’s hair. I feel like a lot of people would overlook that and miss it when it is not around anymore.

“I am excited about this exhibition because it is a new opportunity and it is a big step up from painting in my room or in a studio up at university.”

Colleen hoped the Eden Place exhibition would be good practice too for their degree show.

“Exhibiting in Derry is going to be a step up,” she said. “It will give us loads of exposure and it will give us loads of exposure in Derry, us being local.

“Our end goal after university is to be full time artists, to be artists known in Derry or even expanding beyond that while keeping Derry in our roots.

“We hope our past art teachers will turn up. We had Miss McGlinchey and Miss McGrory in St Cecilia’s College. We did textiles and fine art there and Miss McGlinchey introduced us to oil paintings, which we all use now full time, so she has taught us loads.

Also, even going back to me being in Pilots Row and doing arts and crafts here. Everything is connecting.”

Leona also has 10 pieces in the International Women’s Day exhibition.

She explained: “Last year and this year, a big thing I liked was photos from the olden days and my own childhood. Nostalgia comes into my work and retro vibes come into it.

“When images were captured on film, they seemed more precious. It wasn’t just a picture taken on a phone. It took time to develop. I think that is an important part of my work. Nostalgia and the family really takes hold of my work.

“One of my paintings has three wee boys in it. I called it ‘Common People’ after the Pulp song. I used to really struggle if the painting wasn’t exactly like the photo. It would stress me out and then, especially last year, I tried to simplify shapes and colours so I wouldn’t be so restrained. I  left parts out and I did more graphically and used flat colours. I felt  that really helped me to let go of the stress, so I liked that. I enjoyed painting figures.”

Leona agreed that having Eden Place Arts Centre in Derry was a bonus.

“I know from my own experience, sometimes it feels like art is something only rich people can do, so it is nice to have a gallery in a working class area in Derry, where  anybody walking in can see work by other working class people.”

Judi Logue, the manager of Eden Place Arts Centre said she was “honoured” to have Amber, Leona and Colleen’s work on show for International Women’s Day.

She added: “Eden Place is thriving. We have an exhibition about once a month and we also have courses which are open to anybody in the community.

“In addition we do projects as well where we see the need in the community and we create art experiences for different groups. This year we have been working with Foyle Women’s Aid and the ACT group.

“There is no shortage of talent and the good thing about these girls is they are planning to stay in Derry and keep the talent here.

“The problem with Derry is, a lot of the time people head away and take all the talent with them. I am delighted to hear they are planning to stay in Derry and be part of the local arts scene.”