STUDIO 8 MISSION
STUDIO 8 Galway is a communal studio nestled in the heart of Galway. Our studio is a melting pot of diverse artistic talents, bringing together passionate individuals who specialize in oil painting, sculpture, video art, collage and performance. We are passionate about embracing and celebrating all forms of art. We believe in artistic diversity and understand art forms have no limits. Studio 8 is a canvas of endless possibilities.
At the core of STUDIO 8’s mission is a dedication to showcasing emerging and less established artists. We provide an opportunity to exhibit on an independent platform and to give these artists an opportunity to showcase work locally, in Galway City. STUDIO 8 contributes to giving Galway artists a chance to progress their career without having to leave the West. We believe in the art culture in Galway and want to celebrate it on a grander level. Through our events and exhibitions we foster connections with our members and the people of Galway City through their work.
MEET OUR MEMBERS
CADHLA FORDE
My name is Cadhla Forde. I am a visual artist based in Galway city. My work celebrates the intricate and non-verbal communication of non-human organisms, particularly in terms of organic growth. My paintings reflect ideas of radical, organic growth through allowing each stroke to grow and expand freely without restriction. The resulting paintings have no discernible beginning or end, foreground or background, reflecting the non-linear nature of the natural world. By layering multiple mediums abstractly, I seek to imitate the wild, unpredictable ways of nature. Emphasising the beauty of chaos within the natural world, I attempt to re-establish connections between humans and the nature. In this way, I hope the work encourages us to rethink our relationship with the natural world and to honour the complex processes that sustain life on Earth.
Instagram - @cadhlafordeart
Website - www.cadhlafordeart.com
Linkedin - Cadhla Forde
Liam McHale
My name is Liam McHale and I am a visual artist from Mayo. I graduated from Limericks School of Art and Design in 2023 with a BA in Fine Art with Sculpture an Combined Media. My practice encompasses sculpture, installation, painting, film photography and video. In my practice, I explore the rural Irish environment and it’s culture, focusing on how queerness can interact, respond to and refuse estrangement to its environment. Through playful means, I aim to reimagine my experiences and reinstate space and place amidst narratives observed.
GRACE WALLIS
My name is Grace Wallis and I’m a visual artist working in Galway City. I graduated from fine art painting in 2023. Through the use of painting, assemblage, music and audio I aim to create immersive other-worlds in my work where a taxonomical, humanist representation of the natural can be playfully challenged. The viewer is invited to find a symbiotic dialogue between the human and non-human, the earthly and the fantastical. At the moment I’m investigating this dialogue sonically, through the act of deep listening and site specific composition.
Instagram - @gracewallisart
Katie Lynch
My name is Katie Lynch and I am a visual artist from Co. Roscommon. I graduated from the Limerick School of Art & Design in 2023 with a BA in Fine Art Painting. My practice encompasses audiovisual media, painting and performance. My aim is to follow the uncertain nature of things, through script writing, prop-making and improvisational workshops. Referencing existential ideas, my work often reveals the process of amateur theatre, allowing an audience to see how an artist might improvise in a man-made storm: a metaphor for unpredictable moments in an individual’s life.
Instagram - katielynch.art
Youtube - Katielynch_art
EOGHAN O KELLY
My name is Eoghan O’Kelly and I am an emerging artist, having recently completed my undergraduate degree in Sculpture and Combined Media in LSAD. My work centres around themes of queerness and identity, and I work mainly in the mediums of textile craft (knitting, crochet, sewing) and performance. Using these textile processes I create objects and garments which are then activated via performance. My practice stems from an autobiographical place, with both elements deeply intertwined with my identity. My interest in textiles began when I was taught to crochet by my grandmother, who was proficient in knitting, crochet and embroidery. I approach the performance aspect of my practice as a kind of self-reflection; asking questions about or exposing parts of my identity to learn more about myself.
Instagram - @eoghanokellyart
