Ards Arts Centre in Newtownards is pleased to welcome two new exhibitions to its Georgian and Sunburst Galleries: A Longing for a Feeling I Cannot Remember a solo exhibition by Patrick Hickey, and I heard the footfall of the flower spring.., a solo exhibition by Bernie McAdam.
In A Longing for a Feeling I Cannot Remember, Patrick Hickey presents a new series of oil paintings and works on paper exploring queerness, masculinity, and identity through the depiction of the nude male figure in otherworldly landscapes.
Inspired by Irish mythology and the mythical island of Hy Brasil, Hickey reimagines a place of safety and openness for queer identities. Viewers will encounter stoic fishermen, dreamlike terrain, and abstract seascapes that reference mythological heroes like Cu Chulainn and Lugh. The exhibition opens in the Georgian Gallery on Thursday 13 November.
Bernie McAdam’s exhibition, I heard the footfall of the flower spring.. reflects an engagement with Greek mythology through the lens of personal trauma and loss, exploring how ancient narratives resonate with contemporary emotional landscapes.
Looking through the prism of these Greek sagas and characters, a vista is opened that explores the misrepresentations of women in particular who have been maligned and vilified by blinkered classicists with a patriarchal bias throughout the ages. Themes of injustice and betrayal emerge but values of kindness and humour also prevail. Bernie’s work encompasses oil painting, cyanotype print, mixed-media drawing and writing. This exhibition opened in the Sunburst Gallery on Friday 31 October.
Both exhibitions will continue until Wednesday 3 December. Admission is free.
All are welcome to attend a Preview Event in Ards Arts Centre on Thursday 13 November at 7pm.
As part of her exhibition, Bernie McAdam will give an informal Artist Talk on her current research and influences at Arts Centre on Thursday 13 November at 6.30pm. The talk is free to attend but pre-registration is required.
For more information visit; www.andculture.org.uk