STORY

“As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.” – John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

Kate Byrne is a contemporary artist based in Dublin. She graduated from the National College of Art and Design in 2013. Drawn to things that are visually obscured, flawed or broken, these ‘imperfections’ are often what inspires her work.

She is inspired by historical landscapes, places in which silence lingers and the remains of derelict cottages, monasteries and farmhouses lie abandoned. In these ancient places, one can find traces of the past, fragments of history that conjure imagery of a time and people who lived life simply.

Having spent several years living abroad, she returned to Ireland in 2019 and fell in love once more with the beauty of Ireland, leading her to seek out and explore the magic secreted in the nooks and corners that are sometimes forgotten. Foraging in old cottages, barns, boatyards and derelict houses she collects the old, crackling paint that peels off walls and surfaces when carefully plucked.

Combining oil paint, Fabriano and linen, she then uses these pieces as mixed media to create a type of layered paintings. As an artist she seeks to evoke the quiet beauty and stories of Ireland’s changing facades.