Well known artist Bernard Canavan to open exhibition in Leitrim this evening

Well known artist Bernard Canavan is hosting an exhibition in the former Elverys Units in Carrick Retail & Business Park, Sligo Road, Carrick on Shannon this evening, Wednesday 4th May from 7pm to 9pm and also tomorrow, Thursday, 5th May from 7pm to 9pm.

The exhibition consists of approx 40 paintings, a number of which are for sale with the other pieces coming from private collections.

Bernard Canavan grew up in Edgeworthstown, County Longford. He has lived his adult life in London, and, as such, could be described as a diasporic artist.

Bernard paints in the expressionist style while the subject matter of his canvases point towards that thorny business of identity. Some, of course, allude to institutions considered at the time of his childhood to be above question.

Bernard’s birth name was Bernard Power and he was born in County Kildare. While his birth-mother and father were planning to marry his existence prior to marriage constituted sufficient enough grounds for him to be taken from them.

Both parents were subsequently charged for his institutional upkeep. In Bernard’s own words his childhood exemplified, symbolised, and personified one thing [and one thing only] for those in charge for his care, in a word, that was, sin.

With no parenting, mall-nourishment resulted in poor health until such time as a brave and kind, middle-aged couple from Edgeworthstown adopted him. He, like so many others of his generation left Ireland at the age of sixteen for England.

His paintings therefore may not only be considered as unique autobiographical bulletins from his life’s journey but of signifance cultural importance on the broader cultural story of Irish identity.