About Artists:
Elton Sibanda
Works: 1, 19, 20 & 21 - Freedom
Artist Statement - Using abstract art as an eyepiece, I aim to look at the depths of the human experience and the difficulties of our existence in my artistic practice. This is a journey into the invisible. My art inspires viewers to enter a world where meaning is found in the details of form, colour, and texture rather than in words, reflecting the complex relationship between emotion, vision, and the unconscious.
My passion with the mysterious elements of our consciousness, the temporary feelings, the silent desires, and the hard to define truths which shape our world lies at the heart of my work. I want to remove these invisible situations meaning through abstraction, transforming them into visual representations that go beyond the bounds of language and fair reasoning. By doing this, I hope to create an environment of inner growth where people are inspired to face their own views and dig into the heart of who they really are.
I use freedom and creativity in my creative process, following my own feelings instead of preset ideas about the final product. I welcome the unknown and approach every task with an open mind, letting the materials lead me as I tread carefully on the thin line between disorder and stability. I want to generate a sense of energy and movement by combining expressive mark-making, layering, and texture investigation; this reflects the fluidity of human experience and the always changing nature of reality.
The notion of multiplicity is fundamental to my work that there are many different, valid points of view that make up reality, which is not a fixed item. This idea is shown in the variety of shapes and themes I use in my work, which extend from strong, powerful lines to fragile, detailed patterns. By acknowledging this diversity, I hope to question standard concepts of meaning and beauty, encouraging viewers to consider their own ideas and appreciate the richness of subjective experience.
My art explores the inner workings of the human brain while at once reflecting on the larger social and cultural environment. I aim to establish a conversation between the individual and the collective, highlighting the mutual dependence of all things, by taking inspiration from a number of sources such as theory, music, and literature of everything. By means of this speech, my objective is to cultivate sympathy, understanding, and solidarity, thereby merging personal encounters with societal awareness.
As an artist, my main goal is to produce work that speaks directly to the basic realities that all people share, bridging language and cultural divides. I want to explore the depths of the invisible in order spark interest, create feelings of surprise, and motivate viewers to go out on their own path of reflection and research. I think that art has the ability to provide comfort, purpose, and hope in a world where everything seems chaotic and unclear. It may act as a lighthouse in the shadow of the unknown.
Viktoria Kondratieva
Works:
2. Sunflowers, Lino and Inks
3. Shepherd, Lino and Inks
4. The Blossom, Lino and Inks
5. The Field, Lino and Inks
6. The Field of Grain, Lino and Inks
Artist Bio
Viktoria Kondratieva is an emerging artist based in Cork City, Ireland. Kondratieva is from Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine.
Viktoria was invited to be a part of Cork Printmakers Young Print Collective funded by Cork City Council. The Young Print Collective serves young refugee, asylum seeking and migrant people who have previously participated in Cork Printmakers youth programmes and who have demonstrated exceptional artistic talent. It provides 8 places and focuses on mentorship and training programme through the medium of print. Modelled on the existing Graduate Bursary Award programme, the participants will become full members of Cork Printmakers, gaining access to studios, classes and facilities. The programme will unfold over three years and Viktoria is one year into this programme.
Artist statement
Viktoria has recently begun her journey as an emerging artist. She has been drawn to visual art as a way of expressing her feelings since fleeing war in Ukraine. Viktoria through her art aims to highlight the incredibly difficult and painful period of time watching and uses creativity as a way of coping. Using black color she would like to show the pain and the tragedy of Ukraine. Also, black symbolizes wisdom in Ukrainian embroidery. The color black is also said to symbolize Ukraine’s fertile soil. She highlights the depts of despair and anger at the senseless violence happening within her home. Kondratieva is using art as a response to the war. Using is as a way to resist and as a way to protest.
My work is about harms done by the war. I have lived in Mariupol for a long time and I want to show you my memories about the city of Maria. It was free and energetic city with the sea and the coast, young and creative people and huge history. The main idea of my work is expressing my feelings. It is very difficult period of time for me and for all Ukrainians, but I found the best way to express it.
My work is about Ukrainian culture and symbols. When I was a child we were travelling a lot by car and my favourite view was a sunflowers’ field. Sunflowers are found growing in fields everywhere, creating beautiful landscapes full of vibrant colors during the summer. Their seeds are also widely consumed directly or processed into various food products such as bread, snacks, and more. Sunflower cultivation has been an important part of Ukrainian culture for centuries and continues to bring joy and prosperity today. Now, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the flower—soniashnyk in Ukrainian—has taken on new layers of meaning, emerging as a “global symbol of resistance, unity and hope”. The sunflower movement began with a viral video shared by UkraineWorld on February 24, the first day of the invasion. In the clip, a Ukrainian woman in the southern port city of Henychesk gives sunflower seeds to armed Russian soldiers. “Take these seeds so sunflowers grow here when you die,” she says. And I was inspired in this work by the woman from the video.
The title of this work is “Sunflowers” Materials: lino, inks
My work is about the power of the spirit. As Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, extending its eight-year-long war, I was living in Mariupol with my family. It was challenging for us to stay brave. There is a diver, who shows the courage of Ukrainian’s spirit, on the pictures. He is moving upward towards light, well-being and development, but the octopus pulls him to the bottom. The title of this work
Prosper Mbemba Koutihou,
Works:
7. Wild Garden, Acrylic on Canvas
8. Train, Acrylic on Canvas
12. Travel, Acrylic on Canvas
13. Fields, Acrylic on Canvas
14. La Prieuse, Acrylic on Canvas
15. My Mother, Acrylic on Canvas
Artist BIO: As promised recently, let me introduce myself. My full name is Prosper Mbemba Koutihou and I am originally from the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), I have been in Ireland since 2002 and currently I live in Navan Co. Meath
I started holding a paint brush barely three years old, I drew a little often and in my childhood, I already had the hand of drawing, I got good grades in drawing at primary school, the passion for Images is always ingrained in me since my adolescence, I am a portrait and family photographer, I am also an Adobe Professional in graphic design.
So, I am self-taught in painting, I am the product of Books, museums and YouTube.
Greg Kalola
Works: 9, 10 & 11
Gregory is originally from DRC. He is a talented artist who graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa, in 1991. Gregory has made Ireland his new home in 1996, and has engaged on many levels with the Irish community, which gave him a great interest in expressing the intercultural experience.
He is the chairperson of Karibu, a Congolese artists’ network, (Karibu means welcome in Swahili) which won the Best Artist Group award at Africa Day 2015.
Mr Kalala has exhibited in many galleries around Ireland, including Bulter Gallery / Kilkenny 2016, Galway Arts Centre 2000, Icon Factory, 2017 and many more.
He is a keen traveller and visited many countries like Senegal, Nigeria, Congo Brazzaville, Mozambique, South Africa, France, Spain, Belgium etc.
Amna Wayalat
Works:
16. Slave, Watercolours on watercolour paper, 18. & 26.
Amna is a Cork-based Pakistani born visual artist and Associate Member of Sample-Studios, Art Nomads, Smashing Times and Angelica Network. She has recently been awarded the Cork County Council Creative Producer Residency, The Arts Council Agility Award and has been invited to exhibit her new work in IMMA, having exhibited her work recently in IMMA online and in Cork County Council’s online exhibition space. In addition to her active practice, she has worked as Programme Organizer with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts; Curator with Alhamra Arts Council and PhD studio-based researcher with PURAF, University of the Punjab (2004-2007). She recently established the Ireland-Pakistan Arts Exchange (IPAE) to bring both art communities together through creating opportunities for networking and exchange. She is a recipient of Arts Council Ireland Visual Artist Bursary Award, Professional Development Award 2020 and Dilkusha Award 2020.
Iqra Iqbal
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Works: 17, 30, 31, & 32
Iqbal Hailing from the culturally rich soil of Pakistan and now nestled within the vibrant artistic community of Dublin, I epitomize the fusion of diverse cultural influences within my artistic practice. With an innate penchant for the intricate artistry of Arabic calligraphy, spanning styles from the geometric precision of Kufic to the flowing elegance of Thuluth, my work serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of this ancient tradition. In parallel to my Arabic calligraphy work, I traverse diverse artistic realms, weaving together elements of contemporary figurative art, architectural motifs, and the emotive depths of realism and expressionism. This multidimensional approach finds its roots in my rich exposure to a spectrum of artistic philosophies and techniques, cultivated through interactions with luminaries across Irish, Persian, Indo-Pak, and Arab artistic landscapes. My work is not confined to mere aesthetic pursuits; rather, it serves as a conduit for profound spiritual realization and a platform for the exploration of sacred art and intercultural dialogue. Through my brushstrokes, I delve into the nuanced intricacies of social issues, offering poignant pictorial representations that compel introspection and provoke discourse. By sharing my art with the world, I hope to challenge stereotypes, foster understanding, and inspire a deeper appreciation for South Asian arts culture.
Sobia Rasheed
Works: 22, 23, 24 & 25
Sobia was born in Pakistan, and studied Arts during her undergraduate and postgraduate.
Her primary skills include painting on canvas using oil paint, acrylic paint and printing making.
Her work involved using abstract painting to express the feelings. Since she moved to Ireland she has found new angle to integrate Pakistani culture with Irish Culture and propagate the colourful Asian culture. As part of this series she exhibited "truck Art" last year in Kilkenny culture festival where she painted the car with motives expressed in Pakistani truck art designs.
She used etching on tin plates technique to capture the scene of a busy "Bazar" - the marketplace, set in traditional Asian culture.
Using collage and oil paint she integrated colours and patterns of Pakistani truck art's culture in her painting "the Girl".
She used miniature technique in her painting " Mughal girl" where she captured the design, colour and style of Mughal culture.
She continues to work and bring forward the rich, vibrant and colourful culture of Pakistan to the people of Ireland in her painting of "Basant" where is captured the element of Minaret (beacon) and colourful kites in the sky, flown to mark the beginning of spring in the culture of the Punjab province of Pakistan. "
Nasir Suleyman
