Member of Visual Artis Ireland and ArtNetdlr.

Received funding from dlrcoco Arts Grant scheme.

Received an Arts Council Agility award.

Artnetdlr member

Business Post - Meet the Artist Philip Carton 24th March 2024

‘ I work instinctively and as my urban surroundings become more intense, my emotive response to this is created by layers and depth of colour, contrast and textures found within my work. While I make many similar prints, I have a personal preference to keep my prints unique and only make small editions,” says print artist Ann Kavanagh. “The process is a response to the materials themselves, erasing lines to create lines, mark-making on copper and aluminium plates plus the accidental scratches that I choose to leave, editing until a composition begins to emerge. Prints are developed in conjunction with one another.”

Kavanagh is participating in an exhibition titled Monochromatic curated by Catherine Daunt and Peter Brennan at the Graphic Studio Gallery, Dublin which runs until April 20. See: graphicstudiodublin. com

How my artistic journey began: I grew up in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny, and was introduced by my mother to the workshops at the original Kilkenny Design Centre. I was fascinated observing the workshop, seeing jewellery and pottery being made in these studios. I was accepted into Limerick Art College, but was encouraged to take a sensible job in banking. Five years later I went to California where I spent a few years working. I began to visit new places and enjoyed travelling. I’m fortunate to have been encouraged by friends to pursue my love of art. So, in 1998 I decided to follow my main passion in life and return to college at IADT. I completed my degree in Fine Art in 2004 while still working full time. Photography and printmaking were my main mediums, which helped me to receive a graduate award with the Graphic Print Studio in 2003. Since enrolling there, I have gone on to specialise further and hone my preferred technique in woodblock printmaking. This passion has taken me to Japan to study their traditional Mokuhanga techniques which I fuse into my work today.

Where the title for my current show came from: Monochromatic is an exhibition of abstract prints in one colour, or shades of that colour. I am one of 25 artists from the four leading print studios in Ireland participating in this exhibition. My work extracts the most essential elements of my urban environment. The art on show is intended to reflect and promote mindfulness. Most of the work can be described as abstract and still, with minimal effects. What I want my audience to feel when viewing my work I want them to see the world through my eyes, how I abstract the essence of simple lines and form, that represent our repetitive daily movement, creating patterns that are abstract and still. I want them to feel curious but calm and mindful of their space.

Artists who have influenced me: Tony O’Malley, Sean Scully, Patrick Scott, Motherwell, Georgia O’Keeffe, Agnes Martin, Giorgio Morandi, Anish Kapoor and Frank Geary. I have a collection of Paper and notebooks - artist’s notebooks, handmade books. You discover so many kinds of paper from all over the world. An artist whose work I would collect if I could Frida Kahlo, Patrick Scott, Sean Scully, Tony O’Malley, Anish Kapoor.

A place that means a lot to me: The outdoors, either at Seapoint where I swim most days or in the Alps skiing, once you are above the treeline. I just love the white-scape especially early in the morning before it has been skied on. I love the lines that skiers then form on that perfect surface.

A place I’d like to visit: While I have travelled a lot in Scandinavia and South America, I would love to explore the Arctic Circle and Antarctica someday. In another life I would have been An architect or a travel photographer The best advice I ever received Live your dreams: only you can make them happen. And always be positive.