Breaking the Bubble | Rory Draper with First Fortnight at The Presentation Arts Centre

Date/Time
Date(s) - 15/01/2022 - 26/02/2022

Location
The Presentation Arts Centre

Website
https://www.presentationcentre.ie/upcomingexhibitions.html

Email
lisa@presentatoncentre.ie

Categories...

• Exhibition
• Leinster
• Reopening

Breaking the Bubble
An Exhibition of work by Rory Draper in conjunction with First Fortnight, the European Mental Health Festival

15th January – 26th February 2022

‘Breaking the Bubble’ Is a culmination of work looking at the small things people may do to get out of the bubble that they can get themselves into. That bubble of inactivity and isolation that can remove you from the people around you .
Coming back to Ireland from London after a breakdown / breakthrough three years ago,
Rory took some time to build himself up again and adjust to a far quieter and slower environment.  Part of Rory’s recovery was being cognisant of what he could do and did do that helped him get through the day. This prevented him from being bubbled up in his room, removed from others. Being aware of these small things and how useful they can be, became very useful for Rory during lockdown. It was during that time that Rory started to explore these events visually. Looking at these tiny seemingly insignificant acts or moments of appreciation and composing them on a page and emblazoning them in colour.
The intention is to highlight the seemingly mundane, making these small things bright and shiny, to show that these small actions and appreciations can get you out of a bubble of inactivity and darkness . In the work on display Rory has been homaging these moments, making them beautiful and striking to give an insight to the viewer how important they are to him. Rory has amplified colour and adjusted perspective so as to draw the audience in and let the instance sit with them for a while. “My hope is that they will come away thinking about the small moments that keep them out of their bubble.”

Rory Draper is a visual artist based in Wexford, having graduated from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin in 2006 and later from the National College of Art and Design in 2010 Rory then moved to London where he lived and worked for a number of years. Rory then returned to Wexford following a breakdown/ breakthrough just before the first COVID19 Lockdown. During this experience Rory found solace in creating, in  recognition and in documentation.

Rory was shortlisted for the Sky Portrait Artist of the Year. Rory was a Quarter finalist (in heat 8) and his artwork was selected by his celebrity sitter in autumn 2021. He was awarded portrait artist of the week with an honorable mention for portrait of Will Young, Sky arts, 2020.

Rory is currently Artist in Residence at the Presentation Arts Centre where he inhabits the studio space there to work in preparation for his upcoming exhibition. Rory will be in situ until December 18th 2021 and studio visits are welcome.

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