South Africa-born artist Emma McNally Jacobs says exhibition launch was ‘best night ever’

A SOUTH-African artist based in Cork said that the opening of her first ever solo exhibition in last week was “the best night ever”.

Artist Emma McNally Jacobs, who moved to Ireland with her family following the Covid-19 pandemic, told

The Corkman that last Thursday evening’s opening of the exhibition was a successful one attended by over 70 people.

“It was the best night ever. It felt like my birthday and everyone came to my party!” Emma said.

The event, held at the Hideout Café and Art Gallery in Cork, was opened by councillor Joe Kavanagh, who congratulated Emma on the exhibition, which features 35 original oil paintings of her work which she said captures “Ireland through my eyes”.

The painter last held an exhibition when she lived in South Africa, an event which opened at the Foyer at Studio 3 in Durban in March 2020. At the opening of her Hideout Café showcase, she said “these two solo exhibitions across two continents have been like bookends to the before and after of what our life was like in South Africa, the pandemic, our emigration, and re-inventing, and re-establishing ourselves as a family over the past three years here in Ireland”.

The exhibition, which featured music from a duo from The Underscore Orkestra, will run until May 17 at The Hideout Café, which opens from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

Going forward, Emma said she will be exiting her fulltime hospitality management job in Cork in the coming weeks after being awarded the STAMP 2024 Arts Festival Manager role, and she has been invited to feature her art at Microsoft Ireland’s Africa Day celebrations in Dublin.

The artist will also be showcasing her work at Kinsale Arts Weekend in collaboration with The Flying Poet Café and has an exhibition at Cork International Airport lined up for August.