Na Cailleacha exhibition opens at Damer House Gallery this weekend

ONE of the oldest and most powerful of mythical beings associated with Ireland, the Cailleach forms part of the Great Goddess trinity, alongside younger incarnations as the maiden and the mother.
Na Cailleacha is a collective of six visual artists, one jazz musician and a curator/writer who have come together to explore being female, older and hopefully wiser.

"We interpret the world through stories... everybody makes in their own way sense of things, but if you have stories it helps," - Paula Rego.

Damer House Gallery is privileged to introduce the current exhibition, Na Cailleacha with reference to Paula Rego. This vibrant collective of female artists, Helen Comerford RIP, Barbara Freeman, Patricia Hurl, Rachel Parry, Therry Rudin, Gerda Teljeur, art historian/curator Catherine Marshall and composer Carole Nelson, first came together in 2020. This exhibition explores the societal assumption around aging, mirroring the chosen name of the collective from the Irish word “Cailleach”, meaning a witch or a divine hag. It also celebrates the female as a creative being, forever finding new ways to respond to the world. A sustainable practicum of making and play, gathering inspiration and experience as we get older.

Originally shown in The Dock, Co Leitrim, in 2023, this exhibition remains relative to all. A collection of stories are presented and woven together, interacting visually and intellectually, these stories belong to us all. They invite us to join in their collective vision.

Na Cailleacha are brave, not afraid to explore new mediums, refusing to be limited to one discipline. They create work that includes installation, technology, sound, sculpture and print. They draw from symbolism, fairy tales, goddesses, ancient myths and contemporary life. They examine and unpack the history of women. In doing that, they lay a path for future generations of female artists. In the homage to the Portuguese artist Paula Rego, who sadly passed away in 2022, they harness her incredible energy and visual genius, they fabricate a seamless view of the feminine.

The exhibition will be launched on Saturday July 27^th at 3pm by Brendan Maher, Manager of The Source Arts Gallery, Thurles and all are welcome to attend. It will run until the end of September.