Upcoming Exhibitions
Aug 2026
Upcoming Exhibition:
'Threading Memories'
by Gráinne Mulligan
Exhibition Dates 7th Aug - 19th Sept 2026
Threading Memories centres on a crocheted quilt made over one hundred years ago by the artist's grandmother in Beale, County Kerry. Through painting, thread drawing, sculpture and archival material, the exhibition explores how objects can carry memory across generations, holding the traces of the hands that made them and the lives they have touched.
For the artist, the quilt is more than a family heirloom. It is a witness to acts of care, ritual and making, connecting generations of women whose lives were shaped by thread. Repeated throughout the exhibition, the quilt becomes both subject and method. The slow, sustained process of painting is a way of looking closely, returning again and again to an object that continues to reveal new histories and relationships. Through this repetition, the work becomes an act of remembrance and a means of drawing closer to the artist's maternal lineage.
Alongside the paintings, thread drawings and sculptural works extend the language of the quilt beyond its physical form. Thread functions as both material and line, suggesting the invisible bonds that connect family members across time while echoing the structures of crochet and the inherited knowledge passed between generations. Archival photographs, a family letter and an historical document containing patterns of quilts further root the exhibition in North Kerry, revealing the personal and cultural histories that underpin the work.
The exhibition also acknowledges the rich tradition of crochet and lace-making in County Kerry. More than a domestic craft, these practices formed an important part of women's lives and labour, creating opportunities for economic independence while preserving knowledge that was passed from one generation to the next. By placing these traditions in dialogue with painting and contemporary art, Threading Memories reflects on the value of women's work, the persistence of material memory, and the quiet acts of care that continue to shape both family histories and cultural identity.
Sept 2026
Upcoming Exhibition:
'Backspace'
LASTA Youth Arts Festival Exhibition
Exhibition Dates: 25th Sept – 4th Oct 2026
Following an open call in the summer, the LASTA Youth Arts Festival will include Backspace, an exhibition of artworks that celebrates a return to slowness in an age of instant images, prepackaged experience, and mindless consumption. Through these analogue works, observation becomes radical and seemingly outdated media become a vehicle for scrutiny and resistance.
At the advent of the internet, Craig McDaniel and Jean Robertson understood that ‘through painting, one is subscribing to a world that is less frenetic in the glut of information being consumed...a world where the construction of meaning is more deliberate.’
The rat race has become a sprint. In an age where we feel like we are constantly playing catch-up, slow art processes are speed bumps that force us to pause and consider elements of humanity which we have learned to overlook.
A backspace is not an erasure or an admission of error. When we backspace – digitally erase – we reflect, retrace, rethink and refine our steps forward.
Oct 2026
Upcoming Exhibition:
'Draiocht'
by Tralee Art Group
Exhibition Dates: 9th - 30th Oct 2026
Tralee Art Group (TAG) is delighted to return to Siamsa Tíre with Draíocht, an exhibition celebrating the enchantment found in everyday life, people, places and landscapes. Through a diverse collection of artworks, TAG artists explore the beauty, wonder and inspiration that surround us, from the dramatic Kerry landscape to moments of colour and imagination
Founded in 1979, Tralee Art Group has supported and promoted visual arts in Kerry for over four decades. With more than 55 members, the group brings together artists of varying styles, interests and experience, fostering creativity through exhibitions, workshops and community engagement.
Draíocht showcases the breadth of talent within the group, featuring original artworks inspired by nature, memory, imagination and the unique character of Kerry. Each piece offers a personal interpretation of the exhibition’s theme of magic and wonder. A wonderful selection of artworks will be on display, with many works available for purchase.
The exhibition runs from 9th–30th October. The official opening takes place on Friday 9th October at 6pm. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome.
Nov 2026
Upcoming Exhibition:
'Body of Light'
by Romio Shrethsa
Exhibition Dates: 4th - 21st Nov 2026
Body of Light presents the visionary work of master artist Romio Shrestha, whose paintings bridge the sacred tradition of Tibetan thangka with a contemporary visual language of light, consciousness, and healing. Drawing on the timeless concept of the "body of light"—a luminous state of awakened awareness found across mystical traditions—Shrestha creates works that invite contemplation and inner reflection.
Across mountains and seas two cultures created visual masterpieces as pathways to the divine, maps of the cosmos, and instruments of transformation.
The illuminated manuscripts of medieval Ireland, such as the Book of Kells, and the sacred paintings of Tibet (thankgka) are born from devotion, discipline and a profound understanding of the nature of reality.
This exhibition brings these two luminous traditions into conversation – revealing shared symbolic languages, spiritual aspirations, and artistic genius.
Handcrafted using crushed mineral pigments including lapis lazuli, malachite, azurite, coral, and gold, each painting radiates remarkable depth and luminosity. These materials are integral to the work, transforming every composition into a meditation on interconnectedness, compassion, and the nature of consciousness.
Visitors are invited to journey through a contemplative space where Celtic spirals and Tibetan mandalas, sacred texts and mantras, saints and bodhisvattvas, calligraphy and colour speak to the same timeless quest: to illuminate the mind and awaken the heart.
