Donegal and Ukrainian artists hold new exhibitions at Artlink

Artlink is delighted to announce two new solo exhibitions opening next week by Donegal artist Sinéad Walsh and Ukrainian-born artist Yulia Gasio.

Bringing together two distinctive voices whose work explores landscape, memory, identity and place from both local and international perspectives, the exhibitions will open on Friday, September 4 and will run to October 4 at Artlink Fort Dunree

The exhibitions will fill both the Saldanha and Mezzanine galleries at Artlink, offering visitors two very different artistic perspectives connected by a shared exploration of borders, belonging and the natural world.

In the Saldanha Gallery, visual artist Sinéad presents Ga (Radius), an exhibition inspired by the coastal landscape. Through sculpture, found objects and mixed media, she explores folklore, time, memory and our relationship with the natural world, combining recycled and natural materials with a sense of humour, curiosity and playfulness.

Sinéad holds an MA in Fine Art from ENSAV La Cambre in Brussels and returned to Donegal in 2014 after living and working in Belgium.

Speaking ahead of her new solo exhibition, she said: “Ga is really about how ideas grow. It begins with something small and personal, then gradually takes shape in the world around us. Living in Donegal, I'm constantly inspired by the coastline, local stories and the ordinary materials we find every day. I hope people come away feeling a little more connected to this place and its quiet magic.”

As part of her exhibition, Sinéad will also lead a creative workshop on Saturday, September 26, exploring drawing, plaster casting and folklore in an accessible, hands-on session for participants.

In the Mezzanine Gallery, Yulia presents a series of intimate gouache paintings and other artworks created during her residency at Artlink. Originally from Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and now based in California, Yulia reflects on Inishowen's landscape through the lens of her own experience of displacement, contested borders, and cultural memory. An Assistant Professor of Art at California State University, Long Beach, and a PhD candidate at UCLA, her work is held in public and private collections internationally.

Speaking ahead of her new exhibition, Yulia said: “Created during my residency at Artlink, this series of gouache paintings considers landscape as a living archive of colonial history, displacement, and cultural memory.

“As a Ukrainian artist from Luhansk, I approached this landscape through my own experience of a homeland shaped by contested borders, occupation, and changing ideas of belonging. The intimacy of these works reflects a process of looking closely and learning from a place. The paintings enter into conversation with the landscape where ocean, defence, migration, and memory converge. Across Donegal, Ukraine, and San Pedro (California), land and water become witnesses to histories of power, loss, survival, and transformation.”

Exhibition Co-ordinator Alison Hancock said Artlink is proud to bring both exhibitions together, adding: “We’re really excited to be showcasing the work of Sinéad and Yulia. Although they come from very different backgrounds and have contrasting practices, they share a number of inspirations, which are channelled into work with a really unique and upbeat quality. We very much look forward to welcoming everybody to this very special location to enjoy the exhibitions."

Exhibition Information

For further information on the two new solo exhibitions and upcoming workshop by Sinéad Walsh, email [email protected], visit Artlink’s website or contact a member of the Artlink team on 0838696513.