From Monday 16th September – Sunday 29th September 2019

 

Opening Reception: Friday 20th September 7pm – 9pm

 

An exhibition of exquisite wood sculptures by Conleth Gent at Signal Arts Centre, Bray opens this September 16th.  Superb and delicate, attractive and strong, these elemental pieces are sure to evoke a deep response from collectors and admirers of Conleth Gent’s work who have been eagerly awaiting his return to the Bray venue.

Conleth Gent is an artist working with wood to create unique sculptures that are firmly rooted in his distinctive understanding of form and harmony.  This highly sensitive approach to the chosen material reflects his appreciation of nature and his desire to engage the viewer with tactile and tangible forms that are visually intriguing.

Concerned mainly with personal expression through the use of figurative elements and with communicating the character of the particular piece of wood, Conleth Gent learned his art abroad, almost 40 years ago. While living in Africa, he was able to explore the tradition of wood carving and he was deeply affected by his experiences with the tradition there.

“An African legend states that spirits of dead beings choose trees as a resting place, between the worlds. A wood carver or sculptor has only to scratch away the surface of the wood to reveal the spirit inhabiting the tree”.

Conleth’s great understanding of the material and his familiarity with the process which began on a distant continent, has won him many accolades since.  These include the2016 Sculpture in Context, when together with Paul Flynn, he was Winner of the New Ireland Assurance Award. 

Working from his studio near Glencullen, in the Dublin mountains, the work in this current exhibition consists of a number of small to medium size works in a variety of locally sourced hardwoods.  Equally comfortable working on very large pieces, this artist is committed to resolving the challenge presented by each piece of timber, as he seeks to reveal the spirit of the tree within.

Conleth has exhibited widely throughout Ireland and is a regular exhibitor at Sculpture in Context in the National Botanic Gardens. He recently completed a piece for the sculpture symposium in Tomnafinnogue Wood in County Wicklow. His work can be found in many public and private collections at home and abroad and in the University College Dublin and University College Cork permanent collections.

About Conleth Gent
Born in Newbridge, Co Kildare, he works from his studio in the Dublin mountains which has also been his home for almost three decades.

Opening Reception: Friday 20th September 7pm – 9pm

All Welcome!