When museums, galleries, and cultural institutions were forced to close abruptly in March 2020, many art events had to be cancelled. The pandemic has not been easy for anyone and the art and culture sector has suffered considerably. Therefore, Spike Island was delighted to host an art exhibition ‘Modern Captivity’ by Maria O’Sullivan in August 2020.
‘Modern Captivity’ refers to the various forms captivity can take; both physical and psychological. The feeling of entrapment threads throughout the artwork, often using a constant transformation as a narrative to reference the imposing nature of modern society and its isolating effect. Social isolation is more present nowadays than ever before and can have significant consequences for people and communities across the globe.
Each composition shows structures and scenes shifting into something new. Irregular textures and strokes are used to build detailed representations of the increasingly abstract and restless world we inhabit. A large part of what determines the direction of Maria’s work is the artist’s intuition. Focusing on solitude, introspection and the nostalgic exploration of time and place, Maria often uses a variety of techniques and mixed media to examine the history of architecture and the transformation of space over time.
‘Modern Captivity’ is Maria’s first solo exhibition.
Maria O’ Sullivan was born in Cobh, Co Cork Ireland in 1990. She graduated with an Honours degree in Fine Art from Crawford College of Art and Design in June 2014.
From the Degree Show she was selected to exhibit in several group exhibitions, including the annual Fledglings exhibition in the Lavit Gallery Cork, The Joan Clancy Gallery in Dungarvan, and the Emerging Artists Exhibition in St. Patrick’s Hospital, Dublin.
Maria was also awarded a three-month residency with Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice where she spent time developing her practice. In 2015 her work was represented by the Doorway Gallery in Dublin and the Agora Gallery in Chelsea, NYC where she first exhibited her Urban Series.
Since 2018, her artwork has been exhibited in the Doorway Gallery Dublin, Cork Airport, and the Half Light Gallery in Middleton. She has also worked with St. Aloysius School in Cork to create a body of work for the ‘Future Forms’ Exhibition in the Glucksman Gallery, UCC, March 2019.
Maria’s work is collected both nationally and internationally.
