Art Exhibition: Roxy Walsh’s Lady Watercolourist at Home at The MAC
By Callum Green
“Hill”The Mac, nestled between St. Anne’s Square and University Ulster in the Cathedral Quarter is holding a new exhibition by Roxy Walsh. The show
promises a journey into the reality of the life of a new mother but, ultimately, it leaves many questions unanswered.Having recently taken adoption leave to care for twin baby boys, Walsh’s paintings lend a childlike innocence to the gallery. Not only do abstract shapes and colours become real subject matters but, upon closer inspection, female/maternal symbolism plays a big part. Watercolour is a happy medium, and it is delicately used.
Viewers at the exhibition described it as ‘vibrant’, or ‘playful’. One person even said that ‘they were paintings you’d have no trouble hanging up in a baby’s bedroom’ – perhaps
they were meant that way, given the context. The small but colourful works display a range of different feelings open to interpretation.
“Owl” It was hard to understand the true meaning behind the paintings without talking to the artist herself.
The title implies a home life and the context given at the exhibition (adoption leave) gives a bit more information. In the end, it makes you wonder about Lady Watercolourist at Home and how much time she must have had for self-reflection whilst looking after the kids.
All in all, this is an exhibition worth your time. Admission is free, and you might see Walsh herself in the process of
adding a large-scale work to the gallery’s walls.
For information about visiting the MAC, click here.
