“In October and November 2002 I made a five week journey across West Africa. From Dakar I traveled east through Senegal to Bamako in Mali. Travelling on through Mali I visited Djenne and Mopti from where it was a three day boat trip up the Niger river to Timbuktu. This was my main reason for the journey. Timbuktu was one place I have always wanted to see. After Timbuktu I went to the Dogon region before heading south through Burkina Faso and Ghana. The first weeks I was in the landscape of the Southern Sahara, an endless view of dry red earth. Not until the rainforests of Ghana did some green appear. On the trip I made lots of drawings and took many photographs. When I returned I used these as a basis for a series of ten new woodblock prints.”

Gráinne is well known for her meticulously crafted flower etchings, as well as a wide range of other themes.

Much of the debate about the type of city that we want as Dublin grows and flourishes has been negative. In this work I thought I’d describe one of the best loved urban spaces in Dublin, the St. Stephen’s Green. Many people think that the outside or facade is more significant then the inside, in fact the first picture most people buy is a view of something that they recognise. Stephen’s Green fascinates me because of the many paths through it. Unlike many city parks this one is in constant use as it links Grafton Street, University Church (with Weddings adding excitement), The Shelbourne Hotel, Iveagh House and Newman House with visitors. Some of the buildings around have changed but the scale and the roofline have remained constant and this contributes to the sense of enclosure, shelter and privacy - the retreat and oasis quality - away from noise, fumes and crowds. Dubliners use the Green in every decade of their lives. It feels safe because gardeners with watchful eyes are there all the time. It is always well maintained. I first started using it when I went to College in Earlsfort Terrace. The trees are taller than the surrounding buildings and thanks to our northern benign climate, there is a great variety and richness of foliage ensuring that the park never dries out or dies. There are good sheltered spaces designed to catch the sun, and benches to read a paper on, even in the middle of winter.

Evoking landscapes through subtle use of tone and texture, abstract qualities of the work are more apparent. Foreground details provide subtle accents and incidents that create a sense of spatial recession and animate these enigmatic surfaces. The artist remains concerned with the encapsulating the essence of the experience of place through fleeting impressions. Images of wide-open spaces evoke the interior landscapes of memory and the individual’s relationship to place. While some works indicate a new interest in boundaries, a range of landscapes inspires the images.

including Untitled - Swans (left)

including Champion Rothara the Gamine (left)

Collaboration between artist Debora Ando and designer Oran Day

including Sleeping Venus (left)