Varnishing Day at the 196th RHA Annual Exhibition

Yesterday was Varnishing Day at the 196th RHA Annual Exhibition.It’sone of the highlights of the Irish art calendar, and a really lovely day to be part of.

The galleries were packed throughout the afternoon, 1421 people attended, and there was a great atmosphere across the whole exhibition. It was lovely to catch up with artist friends, and meet new ones, while seeing such a wide range of contemporary work all under one roof. The rooms had that great opening day mix of seeing friends, talking about paintings, and spotting the red dots.

This year, almost 4,890 artworks were submitted to the exhibition, with just 435 selected after two rounds of judging, making it one of the most competitive open exhibitions in Ireland.

My painting GAA Club was selected for this year’s exhibition. It’s a small atmospheric oil painting inspired by the quiet light, architecture, and everyday character of local Irish places, in this case my muse, Castlegorgy, Co. Kerry. Seeing it hanging amongst such a strong and varied collection of work was a proud moment.

One of the things I always enjoy about the RHA Annual Exhibition is the mix of work on display. There’s everything from traditional oil painting and portraiture to sculpture, photography, abstraction, and large-scale installation work, which makes the whole exhibition feel vibrant and really alive.

Painting has brought me into a whole new world over the past few years, so days like this — seeing the work on the wall, catching up with people, and spending time surrounded by so much strong work — feel very special.

The 196th RHA Annual Exhibition officially opens to the public today and runs until August 9 at the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place in Dublin.

If you’re in Dublin this summer and interested in contemporary Irish art, it’s well worth a visit. More information can be found on the RHA website. .