Kilkenny artist continues to find inspiration for new work

As progress continues on his new book of prose and poetry (co-authored by Jim Murray), you would’ve been forgiven for thinking that Daithí Holohan would put down the paintbrushes for a while.

Such an assumption though, at least to anyone that knows him, would be very naive.

The city-based artist, renowned for his talent in capturing both the frailties and strength present in the human experience, as well as natural landscapes, is continuing to refine his art.

Living in an ever-evolving city, there is always some new landmark or vista to sketch in Kilkenny, and Daithí keeps his eyes open for these new opportunities.

One recent work, illustrating the architecture of Cake Face (pictured above), is testament to that.

An prominent presence on the streets of Kilkenny, it’s hard to miss Daithí and his trademark flat cap, an Easter lily pin adorning his clothing without fail.

A devout Republican, he tends to keep on top of current affairs, with the hindsight of learning lessons from the past.

Throughout his own lived experience, he has learned many lessons, and overcome many struggles.

Prolonged stints in mental health institutions at a time when any type of mental health struggle was heavily stigmatised would’ve broken many men, but Daithí fought through.

A working class city kid, he came not from a position of privilege, but of paucity.

As a result, he has never looked down on any other person as being lesser, and loathes the privileged elites in the arts world who do.

Expect to see more new work from Daithí at his next exhibition (TBA).