The work of almost 20 artists is currently on display in the Warwick Art Gallery’s Cruthaich! (to create) exhibition, a Celtic-inspired exhibition in support of CelticFest.
Cruthaich! runs until 9 April, and features work in a variety of media, created by local artists including Corina Graham, Susan Creed, Jayde Clacy and Leeanne Konstantinou, as well as artists from as far away as Mudgee and Ingham.
Textiles, pottery, mixed media and found objects all feature, with striking pieces such as Dorothy Haig’s ‘Triquetra’ and Tom Condon’s ‘Triskelion’ created from materials such as agricultural polypipe and mosquito coils. Meanwhile Jayde Clacy’s ‘Roisin’, a beautiful hand-embellished organza dress with seams that are burnt rather than sewn, draws the eye on entry to the light-filled space which houses Cruthaich! at the WAG.
Karina Devine, WAG gallery director, said that the brief for the exhibition gave artists a lot of scope to create a wide variety of different works, from classical Celtic pieces featuring tartan and Celtic knots, to a more general interpretation of making something ornate.
The WAG decided to run Cruthaich! in support of CelticFest because it saw an opportunity to develop an exhibition which could be tied to a local event, in much the same way that the Gallery is a central focus for creative output during Jumpers and Jazz. “At one stage we thought there would be an exhibition at the actual CelticFest event, but we wanted to be a bit more involved than that, which is why we took it a bit further,” said Devine.
Cruthaich! also represented an opportunity for WAG to bring work into the gallery from talented local artists, said Brittany Dale, the WAG’s community engagement officer. “It is also a good opportunity for us to attract a new audience as well, people who might not come to the art gallery generally, or who are not from Warwick,” she added.
