October 2021 Margaret Walker retrospective This is me

a selection of paintings prints textiles and sculpture created over the last 18 years in her KCAT studio. Margaret joined the KCAT  Studio Group in 2003 having studied for several years on the KCAT Art Course. She likes to experiment with mixed media techniques and enjoys working in paint or sowing.

In 2014 Walker ‘s first solo show was in her beloved Coolagh, in her old school that is now the local hall. Margaret has travelled extensively, including Sweden, America and Germany and uses this experience in developing ideas for her work.

“I paint pictures of buildings in the town where I live, Callan County Kilkenny. The buildings I paint are old and they have been there right through my life. These buildings are part of my heritage. People are always talking about Callan being a dead town, but those people should look around them, because there is still a vibrancy there. My paintings are a celebration of the town. “

Orlaith Tracey has worked with Margaret on Curating this Retrospective Exhibition and here is some of the observations Orlaith has written in the Publication of Walkers work to coincide with the show.

“Margaret knows Callan and nearby Coolagh inside and out. She has painted and stitched their churches, the rivers, the fields, the trees, the hills, the convent, the garda station, bakeries and cafes. There’s ‘Mary’s House and Barn’ and ‘O’Leary’s Gate’, personal memories and experiences are painted into these artworks. A stitch in time saves nine as the old saying goes. Margaret stitches and paints to capture time. She’s capturing moments, as these places shift and change and take on new life. Margaret’s personality and life story can be found amongst her artworks. They take you on a journey through the last twenty years of her life.”