Waterford artist brings Irish Folklore to life in new GOMA exhibition
Wild Wisdom from a Grúagach’s Lair | Rayleen Clancy - GOMA Waterford
A new exhibition inspired by Irish Folklore, nature, and the mystical Grúagach opens at GOMA Gallery of Modern Art in Waterford this month.
Wild Wisdom from Grúagach Lair, a new solo exhibition by Waterford-based visual artist Rayleen Clancy, will run from October 3 to 31, with an opening event taking place on Saturday, October 3, from 6pm to 8pm.
The usual exhibition will bring together stained glass, sculpture, moving image, costume, light and sound, transforming the gallery into a colourful world filled with altered furniture, strange creatures and hidden habitats.
At the centre of the exhibition is Grúagach, a shapeshifting "hairy woman" found in Irish Folklore.
Clancy reimagines the mystical character as a guardian representing wild wisdom, care and transformation.
Visitors can expect some unusual sights along the way.
One of the central pieces is a sofa covered with soft, tentacle-like limbs, which wrap around whoever sits down.
An illuminated stained-glass coffee table, meanwhile, depicts a woodland scene where human, animal and plant forms become intertwined.
Other sculptural pieces resemble portals, shrines and hybrid organisms, while plants, animals, fungi, spirits and mystical figures are brought together throughout the exhibition.
The work also takes inspiration from Ireland's coastal caves and explores ideas around the environment, adaptation and our relationship with nature.
Humour and traditional folklore are mixed with more serious themes surrounding ecological change and care.
Clancy is a multidisciplinary artist based in Ring, Co Waterford, whose work spans stained glass, installation, film, sculpture, costume and sound. Her work is held in the Waterford Municipal Art Collection, as well as the Office of Public Works and Glasmuseum Lette in Germany.
Her work has also been exhibited both in Ireland and internationally, including at Dublin Castle, Rua Red in Dublin and the LOOP Film Festival in Barcelona.
Wild Wisdom from a Grúagach’s Lair opens at GOMA Gallery of Modern Art, Lombard Street, Waterford, on October 3 and continues until October 31.
