Working with paint, print, installation, experimental film and sound, artist Aisling Conroy’s new exhibition delves into the metaphysical realm …
‘Shrine Portal,’ by Aisling Conroy
What or kickstarted your interest in art?
I was always drawing and making things as a child and was encouraged by my
family growing up, so it always felt very natural. Art was always my own
language, my own way of expressing myself. It has helped me make sense of
the world, and still does.
‘Chladni Akustik 3,’ by Aisling Conroy
How has your artistic journey evolved from college to practice?
I started studying Animation in Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design
(IADT) in 2004 for two years. After that, I did a BA in Fine Art Printmaking in
National College of Art and Design, and from there I went on to do an MA in
Fine Art. I adopted painting soon after I graduated and rented my first studio in Talbot Street Studios in Dublin, where I was surrounded mostly by painters, so it must have rubbed off!
During that time, I was working in NCAD, in the library and archive on archival projects and managing the film and image library. Now I’ve gone full circle and I’ve been back working in the animation industry since 2017. I was an associate artist with the Olivier Cornet gallery for six years and then moved back to my hometown in Portlaoise in 2020, where I’ve continued to hone my practice.
‘Primal Nine,’ by Aisling Conroy
What was the starting point for your new exhibition “Incantations”?
Sound and meditation have been an ongoing source of interest that has
underpinned my work since 2010. I have always been drawn to sacred and
spiritual art, even as a young child, and this has followed me through to how I
think about art and how I approach making it.
I hope that the viewer of my exhibition feels that they are entering into a sacred space and it moves them. The work is very meditative and visceral. I want it to unearth something deep inside, a sense of expansion yet connected. I’ll be guiding the viewers into a deeper journey of the work through a meditation and a sound bath, and on Friday September 20, when TØN Gallery will be open for Culture Night, with a musical performance from special guests, Varo.
‘Chladni Akustik 2,’ by Aisling Conroy
How and where do you work?
I work between a home studio and for larger scale works, a bigger workshop,
both in Portlaoise. For any printmaking work, I work from the Black Church
Print Studio in Dublin, where I’m a member. I initially draw, paint and collage
in sketchbooks, then, when I’m planning paintings or printing, I work digitally
in Photoshop so I can test it before execution – this helps especially with the bigger
paintings.
You’re drawn to the metaphysical realm – how is this shown in your work?
The new work delves into the metaphysical realm guided by colour, form,
vibration, cymatics. I use symbology and repeated motifs throughout the
work to create an interconnectedness between the past and the present,
particularly in referencing ancient mark-making. The exhibition also looks at
energy, movement and the five elements that are the primal building blocks
of existence. I hope that the meditative nature of the work allows for a more
visceral experience of the metaphysical and to hint at an unseen reality.
Need to Know: “Incantations” by Aisling Conroy will open at TØN Gallery, 25A Temple Lane South, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 on August 29 and runs until September 21. On Saturday, September 14 from 12pm-1.30pm there will be a conversation with Aisling before a sound bath and meditation session. For more information visit www.tondublin.com.
