West Cork artists seek 'audiences that may not typically visit galleries'

Esther McCarthy previews the exciting pieces from the debut exhibition at Union Hall this Easter by the Rossmore artists' collective

Fri, 06 Mar, 2026 - 16:16

Esther N McCarthy

Six artists. One stretch of West Cork countryside. From paint to clay to woven bramble, this is a collective rooted in landscape, friendship and a shared obsession with making. Each artist brings decades of experience. (All bring muddy boots and green fingers!)

A collective of Rossmore artists and makers is set to debut its first exhibition, Across the Fields, at Cnoc Bui in Union Hall this Easter — marking the gallery’s opening show of the 2026 season.

Bringing together Lesley Cox, Eadaoin Harding Kemp, Anne Harrington Rees, Sara Hodson, Etain Hickey and Jim Turner, they say they really want to "invite and welcome audiences who may not typically visit galleries". Throughout the run, the artists will host relaxed Meet the Maker sessions and a group discussion to open up their creative process further.

For more information, email etainhickey@gmail.com.

Rossmore Artist Group Lesley Cox, Eadaoin Harding Kemp, Anne Harrington Rees, Sara Hodson, Etain Hickey, Jim Turner. Although each has a different background, all are professional artists who share a love of nature and their West Cork surroundings.

This is Across The Fields by Eadaoin Harding Kemp. Eadaoin’s oil paintings are lush, textured and gloriously physical. Her Smeara Dubha (blackberry) works are so rich you half-expect stained fingers.

She paints growth, decay and renewal with deep feeling, canvases that hum with colour and the pulse of the seasons.

'Beneath the Ancient Field', Jim Turner Ceramics.

From Jim Turner Ceramics, we have Beneath the Ancient Field. A titan of Irish ceramics, Jim has spent five decades shaping clay — and the discipline itself.

A recipient of the DCCI Excellence in Making Award and the Irish Ceramics Award for Outstanding Achievement, he pairs technical mastery with quiet innovation. Form, surface, substance, he understands them all.

An oil-on-linen, A River Runs Through It is by Lesley Cox. Lesley’s semi-abstract landscapes feel like West Cork weather made visible.

Lesley works with a palette knife, layering and scraping back oil paint until light breaks through. You can almost sense the Atlantic air in them, shifting, luminous, alive.

Etain Hickey Ceramics Gold-lustre bowl, 'Hidden Frog', 20cmx6cm; and Etain Hickey Ceramics Country Living, set of three, each aprox 9cmx6cmx3cm €150.

Etain Hickey's ceramics are instantly recognisable. Her pieces are so joyful, intricate and steeped in nature.

Inspired by Japanese Ikigai philosophy, she paints clay with a meditative touch, exploring the connection between hand, heart and head.

Each piece feels considered and quietly celebratory. We love the Hidden Frog bowl, while Etain Hickey Ceramics Country Living, each approximately 9cmx6cmx3cm, is priced at €150 for a set of three.

Anne Harrington Rees Anne gathers what grows wild — think bramble, rush, honeysuckle, and she transforms it into sculptural baskets and vivid textiles. Her work carries the hedgerow indoors. Organic, tactile, quietly magical, just like this piece called Ailm. She is also a lurcher lover — but that's another story for another day!