Olga’s ‘Mise Eire’ acclaimed
DONORE born artist Olga Baunbaek Reilly has been selected to show one of her works at one of the most prestigious art exhibitions in the world.
Her painting ‘Mise Éire’, a contemporary portrait of Pádraig Pearse, was selected for this year’s Royal Ulster Academy’s 136th annual exhibition, running from 6th October 2017 until 7th January 2018.
It is part of a collection that she has been working and which she plans to exhibit during the Fleadh Cheoil na Héireann in Drogheda in 2018.
Now living in Copenhagen, her artwork is one of 400 selected from 1800 entries received from 930 artists.
Olga’s painting of Pearse, is inspired by his poem of the same name which translates into ‘I am Ireland’.
Olga’s current paintings are large scale, narative-based works, with dreamlike abstracted figures in landscapes and sea-scapes, in oils and handmade paint on canvas. Thematically they deal with erased or broken memories, a sense of place and the underlying violence in everyday life.
There is a clear theatrical element to the paintings inspired by her years as a freelance theatre and set painter for The Royal Danish Theatre, Ballet and Opera and for Danish TVV & Film, including the TV seriess The Killing.
The Ulster Museum in Belfastt is hosting this year’s R.U.A ex-x hibition and visitors to the exhibition can also view the iconic poppy installation ‘Weeping Willow’ which commemorates those killed in the First World War. ‘ Weeping Window’ is a cascade of sevseveral thousand handmade ceceramic poppies that pours frofrom a window or other point high above the groundgrou and has been created by Derby-based artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper. ‘ Weeping Willow’ will be in place at the Ulster Museum until 3rd December 2017. Limited edition prints of Olga’s painting ‘Mise Éire’ are also available in an edition of 100 prints to mark the 100 years since 1916. Each print is numbered and signed by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity. This work and the painting and prints can be viewed and ordered on her etsy page at www.olgareillyprints. etsy.com.
Olga studied Fine Art in Belfast then lived and worked in Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco for 10 years before settling in Copenhagen. She has exhibited widely including solo exhibitions in New York and Copenhagen. Her current studio is in Copenhagen and she welcomes visitors and can be commissioned for bespoke work at www.olgareilly.com.