These Olive Trees Aya Ghanameh
Peace Please Emmalene Blake
I am a visual artist residing in Dublin, working predominantly on large scale murals. Since graduating from Dublin Institute of Technology with an BA in Fine Art in 2012, I have been honing my craft as a street artist. I have painted live at many events, as well as painting large scale murals throughout Ireland and abroad. My time is spread between painting outdoor large-scale pieces, studio work and teaching in Youthreach (an education centre for early school leavers). My work is frequently socio-political and very much influenced by the world around me and by issues I feel strongly about. As a result, recurring themes in my work include feminism, human rights, environmental issues, inequality, as well as pop culture and humour. I strongly believe in the power of public art as a means of reflecting the world and of engaging the wider public in conversations about culture and society.
These Olive Trees Aya Ghanameh
Aya Ghanameh is a Palestinian illustrator, writer, and designer from Amman, Jordan currently based in New York City. Her work moves away from state-centric ways of thinking to center the voices of ordinary people in historical and political narratives. Her debut children's picture book, THESE OLIVE TREES (Viking Books, 2023), is inspired by the experiences of her family who cultivated her love of the earth throughout her upbringing in exile.
Aya graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Literary Arts & Studies. Previously a Children's Books & Gifts Design Fellow at Chronicle Books, she is now a Designer at Penguin Workshop at Penguin Random House.
THESE OLIVE TREES is available to view at the Maine Irish Heritage Center.
We Watch Your Back Manuela Madeira
Manuela Madeira, born in 1969, is an Irish -Mozambican artist based in Ireland. In her work she often explores how women navigate through most societies, challenging themselves to overcome barriers that are set to exclude them from the institutions of power.
For this exhibition, Manuela also presents women as a group that are often disproportionately affected during war and conflicts due to displacement and being a refugee. The breakdown of social structures disrupt safety nets leaving women vulnerable to poverty, exploitation and increasing discrimination.
In most situations, despite being in a vulnerable position, they continue being the agents that preserve their traditions and knowledge that are passed from one generation to the other.
With a penchant for symbolism and metaphor Manuela invites viewers to embark on a visual odyssey where reality and metaphor converge. The subjects that inhabit the canvas are not merely figures, they are archetypes, vessels of emotion, and carries of universal stories. Faces become mirrors reflecting the spectrum of human experience - joy, sorrow, longing, and the ineffable beauty that emerges from the interplay of light and shadow.
As Manuela continues to navigate the infinite possibilities of artistic expression, the journey remains an exploration of the human spirit on canvas and gesso panels. Through the alchemy of colour and form, Manuela beckons the viewer to partake in the enigmatic voyage inviting them to discover the hidden stories that linger in the spaces between brushstrokes.
Recent solo exhibitions include Ile22 Gallery, Germany, Fundacao Fernando Leite Couto (FFLC), Mozambique, Akazi!ATL,Atlanta, Georgia,USA, and a group exhibition in Ireland, Italy and Belgium. She is also a member of Mor Artist Collective Ireland and a member of Nua Collective and a contributing artist to its visual arts exhibition platform. Manuela holds a MA degree in Art & Process from the Crawford College of Art & Design, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland, and MA degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester in the UK. She has also attended the Rhok Art Akademy in Brussels, Belgium, where she lived and worked for four years.
Manuela will be taking part in a group exhibition in Cairo, Egypt from 18th -30th May 2024 May at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)
Men of the South Sean Keating
Carrickahowley is in County Mayo, Ireland, and is the historical site of the stronghold castle of Grace O’Malley, or Grainne Mhaille. Grace O’Malley was a seventeenth-century pirate queen of Western Ireland who led an entire fleet of ships over her long career and met Queen Elizabeth I in a historic meeting. The name references many things, therefore, from respect for women in Irish history to fierce independence and capable leadership.
The stronghold and its location conjure the rocky coast of Maine, with its opening to the Atlantic Ocean that separates Ireland from Maine.
Support the bridge between Irish and American art by shopping at the Carrickahowley Gallery. You’ll find prints and original art at affordable prices. Plus, a portion of the proceeds benefits the Carrickahowley Art Gallery and our mission.
Maine Irish Heritage Center
Corner of Gray & State Streets
PO Box 7588
Portland, ME 04112-7588
(207) 780-0118
maineirish@maineirish.com
