News
WHAT is delighted to announce that artist Gemma Hodge was selected through a public vote to exhibit her paintings in University Hospital Waterford (UHW) in the first of a series of annual exhibitions entitled A Better Place.
Gemma was artist in residence with WHAT in 2001 and had her first solo exhibition at UHW. She studied Fine Art at Crawford College of Art and Design and Cyprus College of Art. She spent seven years working as an artist and educator in London where she completed commissions for Charing Cross Hospital and was artist in residence with Paintings in Hospitals. She recently returned to Ireland from Australia and currently lives in Cork.
Gemma’s paintings and drawings evoke a sense of a place by capturing the changing qualities of light and using pared down references to the landscape. Depictions of early morning fog, the fading light at dusk, tidal marshes and fleeting shadows give her work atmosphere while creating a timeless space for the viewer.
Gemma’s paintings were selected for the A Better Place exhibition via a public vote from artworks by 37 artists submitted to WHAT which went on public view in UHW in February. The artists were not named during the voting process.
According to the Arts Director, Mary Grehan, ‘WHAT believes that original art in hospitals make it a better place for everyone. However, opinions differ about the kind of artwork that should be exhibited in hospitals and so we decided on this occasion to give the choice to those who would see the A Better Place exhibition – patients, visitors and staff of University Hospital Waterford. This was a highly democratic exercise and as such we are bound to follow the choice of the people!’
The first A Better Place exhibition featuring paintings by Gemma Hodge will go on view in UHW on 2 June. The exhibition will be launched by anaesthetist Dr. Jimmy Lyons.
