‘Ealain Nua’ four emerging artists exhibit their work

AN art exhibition, ‘Ealain Nua’, showcasing the work of four emerging artists who “came together” at an evening drawing class in Palmerstown Community School, is coming to the Tallaght Library, reports Ryan Butler.

Caroline Connolly, Donna Thomas, Monica Harmon, and Emma Baynes each bring a “unique vision and style,” according to Emma, reflecting on their personal reflections and creative explorations; they were inspired by each other and by their teacher Junga Han to create new pieces of artwork and put them on display in Tallaght Library.

It is their first public exhibition, and they wish to show that anyone can make art.

“Art is not just the preserve of a few who studied art; anyone can appreciate, create, and participate in art.

Art is accessible to everyone, and creativity is not limited to those with formal credentials.”

The idea came as the group discussed the end-of-term exhibition, which is held on the last day of the drawing class every year.

Emma notes that while they were “apprehensive” at first, they gained confidence, became inspired, and decided to put a public exhibition into practice.

Caroline, Donna, and Monica have been part of the drawing class since September 2023, with Emma joining in January 2024.

It began as a beginner class and moved on to an improver class.

They are including works of art that were produced before, during, and after the drawing class took place.

When asked if there were any specific challenges during the process, Emma responded by stating, “There was no special challenge, but since it was a group exhibition, we had to gather many opinions, had a lot of discussions, and had a lot to prepare, but since we all shared roles, it was a good experience and will be a great memory.

We loved seeing each other’s works each week, and we enjoyed how we all have our own unique ideas and styles.”

After the exhibition, the group plans to continue creating art and may even hold future exhibitions.

They would like to thank Palmerstown Community School for running the drawing class, Tallaght Community Library for hosting it, and their “wonderful” teacher, Junga Han, whose passion for this subject and for the exhibition has been “wonderful and encouraging,” “being so knowledgeable in this art world, and she helped us prepare for this exhibition every step of the way.”

‘Ealain Nua’ will be showcased in the Tallaght Library from June 15–29; there will be a meet-and-greet on June 22.