Eimear Nic Roibeaird – Seek The Fair Land/ Tabhair Ar Ais an Oíche Aréir.
Eimear Nic Roibeaird’s exhibition explores Ireland’s liminal spaces, where myth and reality blur, leading to heightened consciousness. Rooted in a deep connection to Irish culture and language, Nic Roibeaird’s artwork invites viewers to navigate the intricate tapestry of characters inhabiting these spaces, each carrying a profound story that enriches the landscape. These liminal spaces, scattered throughout Ireland, serve as realms of nourishment, nurturing, and cognitive expansion.
08 Aug 2024
–
05 Sep 2024
6:00pm
2nd Floor, The Arches Centre, 11-13 Bloomfield Ave, Belfast, BT5 5AA
Her work captures the essence of these characters, guiding us through the intertwined narratives of Irish myth and landscape. Committed to revitalizing storytelling traditions, she uses painting and drawing to bridge past and present, blending folklore with contemporary expression. At the core of her work lies a profound reverence for the land and its mythic inhabitants. Concepts such as the Alltar and Ceantar represent the duality of existence and the sense of displacement experienced when navigating both realms simultaneously.
The exhibition begins with two figures: one asleep and one fleeing their physical form, unfolding a narrative of encountering the liminal otherworld. Nic Roibeaird views the Irish landscape through a figurative lens, where the land is imbued with stories, often derived from goddess legends. A central character is Boann, a goddess whose defiant act created a river, transforming the land around her.
Watchers lurk throughout the exhibition—faces unknown, figures gathering in a procession. This exhibition explores myth, liminality, and dual existence, reflecting the artist’s feelings of living in a liminal space as an Irish woman, a Gaeilgeoir, and a Gael under colonial rule—neither fully accepted as Irish in the Republic and considered too Irish in the north of Ireland.
Her figures embody this displaced feeling, appearing either content in their current space or seeking another space to inhabit. This duality resonates throughout her work, offering a powerful commentary on identity, belonging, and the mythical connections to the land that shape cultural heritage.
The title of the exhibition is derived from an ancient Irish proverb, “Seek the Fair Land that is over the brow of the hill.” Its Irish translation, “Tabhair Air Ais an Óiche Aréir,” though not a direct literal translation, adds a richer meaning. This phrase, drawn from the story of Óisín and Niamh, captures Óisín’s return to Ireland after 300 years in Tír na nÓg, only to find his homeland irrevocably changed. It evokes a profound sense of longing, grief and the search for something lost forever, encapsulated in Óisín’s poignant words,
“Tabhair Air Ais an Óiche Aréir.”
This exhibition is supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland Support for Individual Artist Programme.
