*CANCELLED* "Studio Vibes" Event
“Studio Vibes” is cancelled
The art is on the wall but the DJ has been cancelled. The wine was ready to be chilled but it’s been boxed back up. The canapes were chosen but the caterer has been told to hold off making them.
I’m sorry to announce, that due to the current Covid situation in Ireland, the PIGSY “Studio Vibes” event in my art studio is cancelled. Hopefully I can reschedule the event in early January 2022.
With the announcements on Tuesday evening by the Irish Government that pubs, hotel events, and nightclubs must all finish and close by 11.30pm along with everyone being advised by to Work from Home if possible it doesn’t seem advisable for this event to be held. With over 4,000 daily cases of Covid being announced, along with hospitals reaching capacity, it is best to reschedule this event to ensure everyone’s safety.
Private Visit
In the meanwhile, I welcome private visits to my art studio. Send me an email on pigsy.art@gmail.com if you want to make an appointment to visit my art studio privately in order to see the PIGSY art works currently on show.
Studio Vibes......coming soon
Open Studio Event
At the moment I am prepping for the next PIGSY art event.
It’s an upcoming Open Studio night where I’ll be serving up my signature “Pigtails” to a gathering of art collectors and supporters along with DJ Mo spinning sounds and setting the vibe.
Watch this space - I’ll be announcing the date very shortly!
Studio Vibes
Sunday Studio Vibes
I spent the day in the Studio mainly cleaning, organising and getting things in order. I also hung some framed paper studies in the desk area where I have my laptop and screens set up. It was good to put a semblance or order on the chaos of my art studio.
I’m lucky to have such a large working space and there are even rooms to store further artworks off the main work area.
An Capall Dorcha Literary Collection
An Capall Dorcha
Issue 3, Autumn 2021
I’m beyond proud to have one of my artworks featured in “An Capall Dorcha” Literary Publication among a curated collection of poetry, short stories and art.
Edited by Laura Harvey-Graham, the 3rd issue of An Capall Dorcha was launched this evening in the stunning Museum of Modern Literature. It was a great launch event with poetry readings and a performance piece about Samhain to start.
And it was over a glass of wine at the launch that among all the entertaining short stories and excellent poetry I found on page 23, PIGSY’s “De Facto Leader”. A very proud moment indeed to be featured among these contemporary Irish writers and artists.
Visual Artists' News Sheet - PIGSY's "Catharsis of Collapse" Critique
Visual Artist’s News Sheet, November - December 2021
Mieke Vanmechelen visits Kenmare Butter Market and critiques PIGSY’s Carthsis of Collapse” exhibition
Pigsy, ‘Catharsis of Collapse’
Kenmare Butter Market
2 September – 2 October 2021
Arty gifts - is it too early to mention the "C" word?!
Framed Paper Studies now available
Buy local for Christmas
Contact me now if you are buying locally this Christmas and are looking for art gifts for friends and family. A range of framed PIGSY paper studies are now available from me in my Dublin studio and they make perfect gifts. Framed and mounted in a bespoke frame you can call in to the studio and select a paper study which will then be framed in a timely period. Alternatively, you can go online here and order directly on my website and your original artwork will be sent in the mail to you (or you can call in to the studio to collect, if you are in Dublin) - International shipping is also available.
Original Framed Paper Studies
Each paper study is framed and mounted with a bespoke frame handcrafted in Dublin.
Check out the full PIGSY paper studies range on my website under works.
PIGSY Press: Echo Live
PIGSY Press - Featured in the Cork Echo
I’m thrilled to share that my recent art exhibition at the Kenmare Butter Market has been mentioned in the Cork Echo Live! It’s always exciting to see my work being appreciated and recognized, especially in such a well-respected publication. Colette Sheridan, in her article about her travels through Cork and Kerry, took the time to highlight my show, which I couldn’t be more grateful for.
A Special Mention in Colette Sheridan's Travel Feature
In her article, Colette beautifully describes her journey through Cork and Kerry, two areas that are rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. What made this even more special for me was her mention of my work at the Kenmare Butter Market, a space that I truly enjoy exhibiting in. It’s always a pleasure to have my artwork in such an inviting and culturally vibrant location, and to have it featured in an article that showcases the beauty of the Irish landscape makes it even better.
To read Colette Sheridan's full article, click here.
A Nod to Basquiat - A Humbling Comparison
One of the best parts of the mention in the Cork Echo was the comparison of my work to the legendary Haitian-American neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. As an artist, being compared to someone of Basquiat’s caliber is both humbling and incredibly flattering. His raw, powerful style has long been an inspiration to me, and to have my work described as “reminiscent of Basquiat” feels like a huge compliment.
I’ve always admired Basquiat for his ability to blend street art with fine art in a way that was both rebellious and deeply expressive. His work challenged traditional art norms and gave voice to the struggles of marginalized communities. This kind of artistic freedom is something I try to embody in my own work, so hearing that my style evokes his is incredibly validating.
A Moment of Gratitude
I’m genuinely grateful for the recognition and support that my work continues to receive. Being part of the Irish art scene has been an amazing journey, and every exhibition is an opportunity for me to connect with new audiences, share my message, and push the boundaries of my creative expression.
A big thank you to Colette Sheridan and the Cork Echo for taking the time to feature my exhibition. It’s moments like these that make all the hard work worth it.
If you haven’t had a chance to see my exhibition yet, I encourage you to stop by Kenmare Butter Market and experience the work firsthand. It’s an exciting new chapter in my creative journey, and I’d love for you to be a part of it.
Until next time, stay inspired and keep exploring the world of art with me!
– PIGSY
"Catharsis of Collapse": All Good Things Must Come to an End
Catharsis of Collapse comes down
All good things must come to an end…..
What goes up must come down……..and and other cliches to basically let you know that the PIGSY’s “Catharsis of Collapse” art exhibition closed on 2nd of October in Kenmare Butter Market.
Positive Response
After a successful exhibition it was sad to see it come off the walls. However, there was a really positive response to the art work that I showed so it is not so sad! Also, I really enjoyed major elements of the art showing in Kenmare Butter Market.
PIGSY art gone to new homes
A well curated art exhibition can take days to hang but not surprisingly it all comes down a lot quicker. The art was packed in the van in a really timely manner also because there was less artwork going home because there were artworks that were sold and so were going off to their new homes care of the art gallery, Of course this is the part of an exhibition that makes me happy as I am always glad to see my art go home with a collector - it’s a great feeling knowing that your art is giving joy to collectors in their homes. It is a great privilege when a collector selects one of my PIGSY pieces to add to their collection and I am always grateful for this.
Finissage of "Catharsis of Collapse"
Kenmare Butter Market: Finissage of “Catharsis of Collapse” 1st of Oct 2021
After running for a month, my “Catharsis of Collapse” exhibition closed in Kenmare Butter Market on Friday 1st of October 2021.
It was a great closing event, very chilled and had a different vibe to the opening night. It was a night where I got to speak to lots of people about my art in a very relaxed manner. In someways it was more about socialising and I felt that people were more about talking to me about my art rather than looking at it. I guess the opening night was where they really looked at the art and then the closing night was where they wanted to talk about it!
Torc Brewing
As at the opening night Torc Brewery sponsored and provided tasty Killarney beers at the finissage - this added a great ambiance to the evening - and as I always say, what better combo than Art + Beer!
European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021
European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021
To mark European Dyslexia Awareness Week 2021, the “PIGSY” short film is being presented and shared on the social media pages of Irish Libraries. Directed by Filmmaker Mike Andrews it was originally screened in Film Festivals in the UK and Ireland including the prestigious Film Fleadh in Galway. In 2021, it went on to be screened as part of the Ranelagh Arts Festival. And now to raise awareness of Dyslexia it is being shared by Irish Libraries, including Tipperary Library, Meath Library and Donegal Library and also the Europe Direct Centre in Ballinasloe.
Dyslexia Awareness Day
Dyslexia Week runs from the 4th of Oct to 10th of Oct 2021 with Dyslexia Day taking place on Friday 8th of Oct 2021.
Thank you Libraries!
A big thank you to all of the Librarians and Irish Library Staff (especially Tipperary, Meath and Donegal Libraries) involved in sharing the “PIGSY” short film to mark European Dyslexia Awareness Week and to raise dyslexia awareness.
View “PIGSY” film
You can view the “PIGSY” short film here
Inside Out Home Show 2021
Inside Out Home Show Art Auction
I’m really pleased to be part of the Inside Out Home Show 21. Last year €35,000 was raised for Friends of the Coombe - I hope we top that this year! Check out their Insta now for their newly launched website with full details of the art auction and lots more!
See www.insideouthomeshow.ie for details of everything they have on offer including design consultations and more. Sponsored by Albany Decor this is such a worthy cause that I am so pleased to be involved with again. This year I have donated a limited edition print of “Mo Laoch” for auction.
Bidding closes at midnight on 31st of Oct, with auction winners announced on Weds 3rd of Nov.. Get your bid in now!
Finissage: "Catharsis of Collapse" Closing Event
Finissage of “Catharsis of Collapse” in Kenmare Butter Market
Proud to announce, after a really successful exhibition” the finissage of "my “Catharsis of Collapse” show in Kenmare Butter Market.
The finissage will take place on Friday, 1st of October 2021 at 6-8pm. Contact Kenmare Butter Market for further details.
I look forward to meeting you all at this closing event for PIGSY’s “Catharsis of Collapse”
Check my blog for pics of the opening event
Ranelagh Arts Festival - Film Shorts in the Stella at The Devlin
“PIGSY” in the Ranelagh Arts Festival
The Ranelagh Arts Festival runs from 16th to 26th of September which a range of cultural events including a screening of short films by local and international filmmakers as well as art, music and theatrical events.
Mike Andrews’ short film “PIGSY” will be part of these film screenings in the Stella Cinema in The Devlin Hotel. Screenings are on Saturday 25th of September at 12pm and 2pm and tickets can be booked on the Ranelagh Arts Festival Website.
PIGSY Film at the Stella
If you didn’t get to see the PIGSY film at the Stella Theatre you can watch it here on youtube!
Irish artist PIGSY talks about his art and life as an artist with dyslexia. PIGSY is Ciaran McCoy an artist from Ranelagh and formerly an architect
Original Framed Studies as part of "Catharsis to Collapse" in Kenmare Butter Market
Original Framed PIGSY Art Studies
As part of my “Catharsis to Collapse” exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market, I presented a series of 8 framed original paper studies. These art works are custom framed in a bespoke frame designed by me. They are accessible works of art given their size (you can carry them under your arm!) and will compliment most home decor. They are accessibly priced at €420 per framed paper study (with unframed studies available for €250). Contact me for further details as to which are still available
Art as a Wedding Gift
PIGSY original art makes for a fantastic wedding gift for couples and gives them a start to their art collection. The framed paper studies are a particularly good option for a house warming or wedding gift as the new collector can start with one piece and then add more to their collection as time goes on. Given the size of these framed art works, they can be easily mailed as gifts or can be nicely presented and given by hand. They literally will fit under your arm so are convenient to gift to someone. The neutral bespoke frame, specified by myself will compliment most home decor and design and will enhance all homes or buildings.
Birthday Gift
So if someone special in your life has an upcoming birthday, get in contact with me today to discuss these art works and to make a selection for the special one in your life. Pick up can be arranged in Dublin City, or the art work can be mailed to a destination of your choice.
Contact me if you have any questions or require further information!
Live Painting Performance in Kenmare Butter Market for Culture Night
A Night of Expressionist Art Performance in Kenmare
On Culture Night, I set up right on the street in Kenmare—canvas strapped to the old stone wall of the Butter Market, no easel, no studio lighting, just me, the public, and the raw impulse to create. The energy was electric. Locals and passersby gathered as I worked directly on the surface, pouring out movement and colour in real time. This wasn’t planned. That’s the beauty of it. Live art—chaotic, expressive, and rooted in the moment—becomes a shared experience when it spills into public space. That night in Kenmare, the painting wasn’t the only thing alive—the entire street felt like part of the canvas.
Surrounded by the building’s vivid history—from its 19th-century origins as a bustling butter market to its reimagined life as an artistic hub—I began creating under streetlights and fading daylight. The atmosphere buzzed, music pulsed through the air, and with every vigorous stroke, I channeled my expressive, intuitive style—gestural marks driven by subconscious impulse and emotional momentum.
The Energy of Culture Night Meets Pigsy’s Expressive Gesture
PIGSY standing on an upturned beer bottle crate creating the unexpected on the street in Kenmare for Culture Night
Culture Night is more than just an evening—it’s a vibrant celebration of arts and culture across Ireland, where streets come alive with performances, installations, and communal creativity. In Kenmare, the Butter Market becomes a central stage for artists, musicians, and community to converge. I joined that celebration with live painting performance culture night Ireland, offering something both raw and immediate.
As I painted, the sounds of local music and the hum of crowds gave life to the moment. I made room for spontaneous creativity, feeding on the collective energy of Kenmare’s community. And yes—between brush strokes, I happily partook in a refreshing Torc Brewing Killarney beer, a small pleasure that grounded the intensity of creating in public.
Why live Art matters - At the Butter Market
Live painting in Kenmare, interactive art experiences, and public art in Kerry are transformative acts. Bringing art into the streets and onlookers into the studio blurs lines and invites people in. In venues like the Kenmare Butter Market, which is steeped in heritage but pulsing with contemporary life, live performances deepen the connection between art, place, and audience.
My practice is raw and intuitive expression. Performing live lets me literally overlay subconscious process onto public space. Each dripped line, bold stroke, and colour distortion becomes a shared imprint of the moment and creates a connection between the audience watching the creation of the work and then the viewer of the completed artwork.
Reflections After the Final Stroke
PIGSY’s Culture Night, Kenmare 2021
When the sun finally slipped behind the rooftops of Kenmare, I stepped back and looked at what remained. Paint-splattered canvas, gathered applause and curious faces glowing with interest.
These are the after images that matter. Live art in Ireland, performance art in Kenmare and Kenmare Butter Market events - these aren't just tangiable moments on a CV, but are memorable connections between artist, audience, and place. The memories will stick with me and I hope they will stick with anyone who was there on the night. And for those that weren’t there, the is videos on Youtube that was filmed with a Vintage Brownie camera which added another layer of interest to this event.
I’m excited to continue working in venues like this (both inside and out!) spaces where art and architecture intersect, tradition meets modernity, and each gesture becomes part of a broader cultural conversation, particularly on a night like the island wide Irish celebration of Culture Night.
A different kind of studio space
There’s something about making work in the open with no walls, no white cubes, no buffers. Just a canvas on a stone wall, standing on a upturned beer bottle crate and the street beneath that and people who didn’t necessarily come to see art, but end up part of it anyway. That’s the beauty of Culture Night. It hijacks the ordinary. A quiet street corner becomes a stage. Someone out walking their dog becomes your unexpected audience. Kids ask questions. Locals shout encouragement. You feel the place breathing with you.
For me, that kind of setting strips things back to what matters: the immediacy of making, the risk of doing it live, and the chance to leave something behind that’s real. Not polished. Not framed. Just raw energy translated into paint in a public space that usually isn’t meant for it. That tension is where I do my best work.
Culture Night isn’t about showing what you’ve already made—it’s about what you’re willing to make in front of people, right there, right then. That’s the kind of gallery I’m chasing: unpredictable, a bit wild, and open to whoever’s watching when the first mark hits the wall.
PIGSY looks at the artwork he created on the streets of Kenmare for Culture Night 2021
The Work, After the Noise
Now it hangs, the finished PIGSY piece. Canvas stretched and battened to the Kenmare Butter Market Gallery wall, silent again. The noise is gone, I’m no longer on the street, and I’m standing in front of what’s been created.
It’s always strange seeing the work thing after the fact. The energy of the night is still in it and every mark, every splash of paint holds the tension of being made under pressure, in public, instinctively without a plan. That’s the part I like. It’s not about polish or perfection. It’s about the trace of something real, happening in real time with authenticity.
No edits. No filters. Just paint, surface, and a bit of madness. That’s the work. And it’s done - until the next one.
Opening Night: "Catharsis of Collapse" at Kenmare Butter Market
PIGSY’s “Catharsis of Collapse” opens in Kenmare Butter Market
“Catharsis of Collapse” is on view in Kenmare Butter Market until October 2nd.
“Catharsis of Collapse” is sponsored by Torc Brewing and with more than 25 original artworks (including 3 sculptures) on display, along with a movie projection, the PIGSY art show brings contemporary neo-expressionism to the County Kerry town of Kenmare in Ireland.
I was honoured to have Poet Tim Buckley open my exhibition.
There will be a special PIGSY art event in Kenmare Butter Market on the 17th of Sept for Culture Night. Watch this space for more……but in the meanwhile, enjoy the photos (by Roman Puech) below of the opening night!
Hotel Art: PIGSY's "I Find You Fascinating" and "A Nation of Fools"
PIGSY Art in Sheen Falls Lodge
Sheen Falls Lodge is a beautiful hotel surrounded in a stunning setting just outside the town of Kenmare on the Sheen Water Falls.
I was proud to visit Sheen Falls Lodge in recent times to deliver a large PIGSY painting and to see it hung in the hotel along with two other PIGSY art works,
“I Find You Fascinating” is now on view in the main stairwell with “A Nation of Fools” hanging in the gorgeous Drawing Room.
Large Scale Hotel Art
“I Find You Fascinating” is a large scale artwork and it is a vivid art piece with bright colours and a bold print. It is currently hung on a wall painted in a muted tone (it’s a great backdrop to the painting) alongside two stylish mid-century modern lounge chairs in a green fabric with cushions.
Drawing Room
In the Drawing Room, there is a further PIGSY artwork on view. This is a piece that is a lot smaller than “Fascinating”. It’s “A Nation of Fools” which is available as a limited edition print (from Designyard). The original artwork was part of my Fumbally exhibition in Dublin City and is now in private ownership in the home of a Dublin Art Collector.
Wild Atlantic Way
It was a proud moment to see my art hanging in such beautiful hotel as Sheen Falls Lodge and I am very happy to know that it will be enjoyed by guests and visitors to the hotel. Kerry of course is on the Wild Atlantic Way so make it a stop if you are on this spectacular Irish trail.
PIGSY Exhibition in the Kenmare Butter Market
And while you are in Kenmare, be sure and visit the Kenmare Butter Market Contemporary Art Space during the month of September to see the PIGSY Art Exhibition “Catharsis of Collapse” which is open now and runs until October 2nd.
PIGSY's "Catharsis of Collapse"
“Catharsis of Collapse” by PIGSY (Sept 2nd - Oct 2nd Kenmare Butter Market)
With Opening Speech by Poet Tim Buckley
I was honoured to have Poet Tim Buckley open my “Catharsis” Art Exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market on Thursday 2nd of Sept. To stand beside Tim at the top of thegallery and to hear him speak so passionately about my work was very moving for me. I can’t thank Tim enough.
Here are the words, Tim spoke on the night:
Tim Buckley’s Opening Speech at PIGSY Art Exhibition
First of all I just want to thank Mirka for inviting me to attend this wonderful facility. What an addition to Kenmare! Which probably has the greatest concentration of galleries per head of population in the country and that says an awful lot about the town and its people, many who have long understood the importance of art not only as a means of decoration but as a way of inspiring and also subliminally granting them permission to dive in and surf their own internal emotions and questions and turn them to something positive.
Poet Tim Buckley in full flow giving his opening speech at PIGSY’s “Catharsis of Collapse” in Kenmare Butter Market
My grandmother Madge Clifford from Firies, Co Kerry would certainly be smiling down on me this evening, She was personal secretary to Ernie O’Malley during his revolutionary years. Latterly he became one of the great champions of Irish Modernism at a time when it was needed, promoting such artists as Evie Hone, Mainie Jellett along with other well-known figures such as Jack B. Yeats and Louis le Brocquy. He lived for a period with Georgia O’Keefe, the photographer George Strand and Ansel Adams in Taos New Mexico.
He once said “my soul lies with the arts, in them lies happiness”. His personal collection was sold recently for 5.5 million so while he enjoyed the art his children reaped other awards.
Picasso’s words resonate when we look at the works around when said “the purpose of art is to wash the daily dust off our souls”. PIGSY’s art gifts us all the colour, the vibrancy, the light as well as the shade to understand and finds a language to translate our moods, our questions into something untutored ancient and tribal. It combines a child like quality of playing without borders while at the same time inventing the artists own unique language to translate all the ambiguity of feelings.
While Paul Henry painted the landscapes and skies of Connemara, PIGSY lifts the lid of his own skull to paint the landscapes of our mind in all its convoluted brilliance and mystery.
Another Picasso quote comes to mind “art is not the application of a canon of beauty. But what instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon, when we love a woman we don’t start measuring her limbs”.
The art here today shows a new modernism, not one of mimicry but of a confidence to explore the vast dominions and landscapes of the mind and to go where we should all attempt to go on a wild adventure without a map or preconditions.
Let me return to the title of the exhibition and that Greek word Catharsis meaning the process of releasing. and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed emotions if COVID has taught us anything is that we could all do with a dose of Catharsis.
I hope this wonderful exhibition will provide this impetus within us all and make us realise we need art in our lives as its medicine is very powerful. So invest in it, it will pay you back and make your heart sing.
Poet Tim Buckley with artist PIGSY at the opening of “Catharsis of Collapse” in Kenmare Butter Market in September 2021
“Catharsis of Collapse” is now open until Oct 2nd 2021
Kenmare Butter Market
Kerry, Ireland
"Catharsis of Collapse" in Kenmare Butter Market
“Catharsis of Collapse”
Kenmare Butter Market - 6.30pm Thurs Sept 2nd 2021
“Catharsis of Collapse” is kindly sponsored by Torc Brewing with refreshments by KBM Barbeque
“Catharsis of Collapse” Brochure
Social & Personal, September Edition: The Artist's Liberation
The Artist’s Liberation: PIGSY’s “Catharsis of Collapse”
PIGSY and his new exhibition in Kenmare Butter Market is featured in Social & Personal’s Social Networking Column.
Curated by Kenmare Butter Market Creative Director, Claire Bunbury, artist PIGSY’s exhibition opens on Thursday September 2nd at 6.30pm in Kenmare, County Kerry. Places are limited, RSVP to Kenmare Butter Market for a place on the guest list!
“Catharsis of Collapse” in Kenmare Butter Market
The Kenmare Butter Market is Kerry’s newest art space and the PIGSY exhibition will bring together over 20 large scale artworks in tactile synergy in the gallery venue.
Overtly expressionist PIGSY paintings are generally figurative forms and are hyper gestural with a graffiti-esque vibe. Along with the large scale canvas, PIGSY will present a range of framed paper studies. This is PIGSY’s first exhibition in Ireland since his return from Spain and he says he is “thrilled to be presenting my work in such a unique and beautiful space in Kenmare and I look forward to seeing the response to my art compositions that were created over the past year in Spain”..
The full range of original art, framed studies, sculptures and limited edition prints are on view in Kenmare Butter Market from Sept 2nd until Oct 2nd. Official sponsors of the PIGSY art exhibition is Torc Brewing of Killarney and opening night is Thursday 2nd of Sept at 6.30pm.
If you are in the Kenmare area of Kerry over the month of September, do drop in to the Kenmare Butter Market to see this exhibition. And if you want to get on the guest list for the opening night, drop a line to Kenmare Butter Market as places are limited and going going fast!! See you there!