"Green Single Rose" by PIGSY /  by PIGSY

“Green Single Rose” by PIGSY

There I could never be, a god

I cry mother

Never sick or good

I bloomed from laneway games

From the start

Slow as the fastest

I never did trust the quick

I had a quick mind

And strong back, I was fighting.

Impusiveness was always against me

No forelock problem, I grow a fast one

Which seems to me smart

For life

I live with the pain

And now chomping at the bit,

As if I were Cy of Jean-Michel

No hate just love for me

All are tragic

When a mother disintegrates

A soul lived as it breathes all in and out

And nothing can hurt hurt hurt

Or break true love love love

I knew her and hope gave her joy

Never the brightest light

Now in eternal night

But mam gracefully understood

"My Parietal Marks" /  by PIGSY

PIGSY - My Parietal Marks

In, 'My Parietal Mark,' there's a captivating blend of ancient cave markings and contemporary stencil street art, all infused with my signature neo-expressionist style (this PIGSY signature skull appears a few times). The piece delves deep into the timeless human condition—its past, present, and future—while embracing the rough, loose, and honest approach characteristic of my work.

Through this fusion of artistic elements, I aim to explore the enduring qualities of human character amidst the flux of a changing world. The term 'Parietal' not only alludes to the sensory lobe but also symbolises the brain's interpretation of sensations. By intertwining cave markings with modern street art techniques and PIGSY's distinctive neo-expressionist style, 'My Parietal Mark' becomes a profound reflection on humanity's resilience and adaptability across the ages.

Title of work: “My Parietal Marks”

Dimensions: 115 cm H x 146 cm W on Stretched Canvas

Medium: Mixed Media (acrylic, oil, Spray paint, oil sticks, acrylic sticks, Crayon, pencil and Ink) on Stretched Canvas

This artwork is now in a private art collection in Spain. You can read about the hanging of this PIGSY artwork here.

"Potential" By PIGSY /  by PIGSY

“Potential” by PIGSY

At night jump

In secret play

Affectionate games

Push blue dreams

Eyes of hope

Life of shame

But different rhythms beat

In our lively hearts

No more laneway words

No more tarmac games

That mysterious race

That neither of us won

So much potential

Gone to waste

2023, PIGSY's Year in Review /  by PIGSY

Happy New Year - here’s to 2024!

At this time of year as the New Year begins I always reflect on the year past and take stock of all that I have achieved. Although the new year is a time to look forward and plan for the future it is also a time to be grateful for time lived. 2023 was a bumper year and although as the years pass I have experiencied the loss of very special people in my life I am also grateful for all of the new people who come in to my life and who bring new opportunities for both friendship and business. Life can be tough but everything happens as it should and I am always positive that challenges can create opportunities and that difficulties that push you out of your comfort zone can ultimately help with personal growth.

2023 was a year of great growth for me personally and also for the PIGSY art business. As in past new year’s blogs, I am really happy to list out all of the PIGSY achievements in the previous year. So in no particular order here are some of the highlights and achievements of my art life over 2023:

  1. PIGSY’s solo “Lost in Thought” Exhibition opens in Ranelagh Arts

  2. Void Magazine features an article about my large scale “Seven Spanish Angels” art work

  3. Redfin Real Estate invited me to collaborate with them on an article about bringing texture in to your home

  4. Shoeless Foot Production features PIGSY’s “Lost in Thought” Exhibition in video

  5. My “I Like Toast” artwork is selected as part of the annual Ranelagh Arts Festival Show

  6. N Magazine features me and my art in a large centre piece spread

  7. My art is selected for House of Hibernia’s “Unframed” Music & Art Event

  8. PIGSY art features in “An Capall Dorcha” literary publication

  9. PIGSY art is shipped to art collectors all over the world and Ireland including to The Hague in The Netherlands, Dubai and the USA.

  10. Dyslexia Ireland interview with me is featured on the Dyslexia Ireland Website

  11. PIGSY Art is featured among the international works in “Dyslexia quando arte”

  12. PIGSY art is selected for the Spanish showing of “Pina-Ta” in La Casa Amarilla, Malaga

  13. PIGSY art is part of the Ranelagh Arts Winter Show

  14. New Word Order Literary Magazine features a PIGSY art work

Human Connections and Opportunities

There have been other achievements and successes over the year and that’s what makes working as an artist so interesting - there’s always something on the horizon that will help my artistic output and further my career. More importanly, however, is the opportunity to meet and work with the most engaging people through my art that I am most grateful for - because in reality living is all about human and personal connections. Which leads me to give a big thank you to all of you who I have met up with and connected with throughout the past year. Thank you for visiting my exhibitions, chatting to me about my art, viewing PIGSY art videos online, connecting with me through social media, collaborating with me on projects, interviewing me for magazine articles, selecting my art for exhibition, sharing studio space with me, adding PIGSY art to your collections and so much more. I thank you all.

As always I have great plans for the future so watch out for what else I get up to in the coming year!

New Word Order Literary Magazine /  by PIGSY

New Word Order - featuring selected art, prose and poetry

Issue VII

It was an honour to have a PIGSY artwork selected for publication in New Word Order’s latest issue, VII, published in December 2023.

New Word Order is a biannual journal of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, and interviews run by Creative Writing students of University College Dublin

The editorial team of New Word Order strives to represent unheard voices in all forms from both within their community and abroad and to give them a wider platform for dissemination. They extend an invitation iopen equally to developing and established writers and artists for submissions which are then considered.

The team behind New Word Order changes with every issue. What remains constant is a commitment to talent, creativity, and authenticity

Editorial

The editorial team for this edition of the literary magazine consistsof the following

Chloe Gahan – Editor in Chief

Aoife Conneally – Art and Design

Chris Coleman – Social Media

Roise Bevin Joyce – Social Media

Holly Mulligan – Fiction Editor

Altynay Toktarova – Digital Editor

Niamh Richardson – Managing Director

Aoibhe Dunne – Art and Design

Marcus Hartigan – Fiction Editor

Dylan Nash – Poetry Editor

Teddy Pierce – Creative Non-fiction Editor

Colm O’Shea – Fiction Editor

Rachael Shotunde – Creative Non-fiction Editor

Jude-Emmanuel Nwosu – Fiction Editor

Hannah Fox – Fiction Editor

Raghed Sunni – Fiction Editor

Emily Reid – Poetry Editor

Writings by the following writers were included in the magazine Stephanie Powell, Emily Linehan, Audrey Moyer, Ciara Broderick, Luke Breen, Oscar Blair, Natasha Hyun, Selene Hoffstetter, Tiago Moni, Tim Callanan, Morgan Lyons, Samantha Hodge, Kaitlyn Gallo-Cover, Asia Fontanarosa, Elle Tan Villa, Louisa Klatt, Colm O’Shea, Molly Kehoe, Ashling O’Connor, Charline Chatelain,Cathal Brogan, Sarah Roberts, Katherina Laukner & Siobhan McLaughlin.

It is a privilige to have my art featured among writings by all of these above who were selected.

Ranelagh Arts Winter Show /  by PIGSY

Ranelagh Arts Winter Show

Am proud to have been selected to showcase my art work in the Ranelagh Arts Winter Exhibition. Guest curated by Shaista Sosrowardoyo and Dino Notaro (Slow Lane Gallery), the show brings together the art of twenty diverse artists including the following.

Selected artists:

  • Nicky Harrington

  • Margot Galvin

  • Jan O’Sullivan

  • Mary Butler

  • Ishmael Claxton

  • Mollie Murphy

  • Cashel O’Toole

  • Gerhardt Gallagher

  • Iulian Bocancea

  • Olivia Cassidy

  • Kevin Sharkey

  • Stephen Turner

  • Orla Lynch

  • Lisa McGann

  • Austin Reddy

  • Conor Gallagher

  • Daithi Smith

  • Steve Turner

    And me PIGSY!

Ranelagh Arts Winter Exhibition - opening Friday 8th of Dec 2023

  • What: Ranelagh Arts Winter Exhibition Group Show

  • Where: Ranelagh Arts, Main Street, Ranelagh, Dublin (across from the Luas Station)

  • When: 8th Dec - 22nd Dec 2023

All are welcome to attend the opening night at 5.30pm. See you there!

Opening Night

See below for some pics from the Opening Night of the Exhibition. With a mix of photographic artworks and other media there is something for every visitor to the gallery. And with Christmas approaching this could be the place to source a unique gift for someone special in your life!

For further information about any of the works on display, please contact Ranelagh Arts directly through their website.

"PIÑA-TA" - Hacemos PIÑA?! /  by PIGSY

Shall we PIÑA?!

The La Casa Amrilla Christmas Expo is back, and this they are year celebrating 15 years of La Casa Amarilla.

It’s “PIÑA-TA” - the last and biggest exhibition of the year, and the last one at LCA headquarters on Calle Santos in Malaga.

Join us on the 30th of November at 20pm and celebrate #PIÑA with us. Lots of artists, lots of art and lots of fun.

Regresa la Expo de la Navidad, y este año Celebrando los 15 años de La Casa Amarilla
(Porque 15 años son Nata)

“PIÑA-TA” la última expo del año y la última en nuestra Sede de C/Santos.

Apunta el día 30 de noviembre a las 20h y celebra #PIÑA con nosotros.
Muchos artistas y mucho arte y muchas ganas de celebrar.

The details……

What: "PIÑA-TA" Christmas Exhibition

Where: La Casa Amarilla, Calle Santos, Malaga, Spain

When: 30 Nov 2023 - 5 January 2024

Artwork on show by PIGSY and other Spanish and International artists.

Visit to see the work on display for the final time in the Calle Santos location with 2024being an exciting time for La Casa Amarilla as the gallery moves to a new space in Malaga!

Cycling the City - Cuture Night in Dublin /  by PIGSY

Dublin Culture Night 2023

Culture Night in Dublin coincided with Carfree Dublin Day as part of European Mobility Week, so it seemed apt for us to cycle to different events in the city.

As evening approached we set off for Dublin’s newest car free street Capel Street where we went for dinner in All Bar Chicken, This is a casual restaurant with great tunes playing, tasty food and friendly staff. We ordered wings each along with a beer for myself and a glass of wine for Enid.

Collins Barracks Museum

After we had fueled up on wings, it was back on our bikes where we made our way to Collins Barracks Museum. We cycled along the Luas tram tracks and while we did consider taking the bikes on to the tram (folded) it was only 2 or 3 stops to the museum so it made more sense to just cycle the whole way.

For Culture Night, there was a talk on Irish fashion called “The way we wore”. It was a fascinating talk and so interesting to hear the social history behind the clothes on display from the 18th and 19th century.

It’s an excellent museum and there is so much to see including a permanent exhibition of the work of Irish modernist designer Eileen Grey. I plan to visit again soon and take in the whole museum becuase unfortunately on this visit, we were on the clock and needed to get on to our next event which was starting at 8pm.

As you can see from the photo it was a full house at the talk so a return visit is definitely in order so as to enjoy all of the exhibits that were talked about.

The museum is massive, with floors and floors of decorative arts (and something that will interest everyone from things like Irish coins to the Asian art collections). Plan on spending at least a few hours there, if you do make arrangements to visit. And of course, most Irish Museums have excellent cafes or restaurants so you can always plan to build a nice lunch in to your visit!

Bike Disco in the Phoenix Park

Our next event of the night was a “Bike Disco” in the Phoenix Park. This was a leisurely cycle through the Phoenix Park along roads that were closed off to traffic. Supported by Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council it was a fun event with lots of families cycling along to musical beats with bikes lit up with flashing lights. The weather was perfect and it was very scenic as the evening drew in. In the quietness of the traffic free areas of the park we even heard what we thought was the sound of the wild fallow deer rubbing their antlers on the vegetation. Other sounds of nature were the chirping bird sounds at twilight, all so lovely.

A big thanks has to go to the OPW for opening up the park to this event and also the Dublin Cycling Campaign for organising the event.

Home by Bus

After all of that cycling from the Southside of the city to the Northside, we decided to call it a night. We cycled on to Heuston Train Station where we were going to take a Luas to Marlborough Street and then switch to the other line. However, there was a number 145 bus sitting waiting for passengers on its route to Ballywaltrim with a stop on Leeson Street which is where we needed to get to. So we folded up our bikes and hopped on the bus, paying for our tickets with our Luas Cards (this is the beauty of a Brompton bike where you can just rack it up in order to cut your cycle and take a bus or tram instead - or even put it in the boot of a car!)

All in all a fun dip in to Culture Night that has spurred me to make imminent plans to revisit Collins Barracks Museum. Cycling to these events shows that Dublin is such an accessible city by bike and public transport which in my mind can be so more convenient than going by car where you have to think about things like parking.

Hope you had a good Culture Night too!

Dislexia quando arte - Dyslexia when art /  by PIGSY

Domlexia unites dyslexic artists in exhibition showcase in Brazil

Domlexia presents an exhibition of dyslexic artists from all over the world in a showcase in Brazil and online.

The art event opens in Brazil in School in September, followed by the online exhibition in October.

What: “Ocupando o Invisível” "(Occupying the invisible)

Where: Brazil - Museu da Escola Catarinese School Florianópolis

When: 28th of September 2023

Having presented PIGSY art previously in this initiative by Domlexia, I am proud to have been selected for this year’s exhibition along with so many talented artists with dyslexia stories. These stories engage and inspire and work to end the stigma of dyslexia.

Dislexia Quando Arte

For further information you can visit the Dislexia Quando Arte Exhibition webpage

An image of Irish artist PIGSY painting

Dyslexic Artists from all over the world

Exhibition participants include artists & creatives such as Julien Villeneuve (Canada), Monica Mendes (Brazil), Wós Rodrígues (Brazil), Tom McLaughlin (United Kingdom), Tiago Campos (Brazil), Susy Rabiscart (Brazil) and Elizabeth Arifien & Charlotte Edmonds (United Kingdom). With artistic presentations in the visual arts, photography, drama and dance this is the event to go see!

Ciaran McCoy interviewed by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland /  by PIGSY

Dyslexia Association of Ireland feature

Lily O’Mahony, Communications Coordinator for Dyslexia Association of Ireland interviewed me where I got to talk about my dyslexia story. You can read the full feature on their website here.

The PIGSY dyslexia & art story inspires

It’s always great to get messages on social media about how people find inspiration through my dyslexia story. It’s one of the reasons why I do what I do:

“PIGSY” - a film about dyslexia and art

And if you want to know more about my dyslexia story you can watch the PIGSY movie by film maker Mike Andrews.