Ag Dathú an Dorchadais: Calm & Chaos
Ag Dathú an Dorchadais: Calm & Chaos
Caitlin Ní Ghallachóir
“Péinteálann Caitlin go hálainn. Tá a cuid pictiúr láidir agus galánta agus coinníonn sí muinín chiúin nach minic a bhíonn in ealaín teibí.
Tá a stíl phéinteála i gcónaí féinmhuiníneach. Tá a guth sa taispeántas seo níos soiléire ná mar a bhí riamh. Tá a cuid oibre daingean agus rachaidh na pictiúir seo i bhfeidhm ort”.
Adrian Kelly
Coimeádaí Glebe Gallery, Mhín an Lábáin.
Tá cónaí orm agus tá mé ag obair i nGaoth Dobhair in iarthuaisceart Dhún na nGall, áit a bhfuil an fharraige againn ar thaobh amháin agus na sléibhte ar an taobh eile, sliabh álainn an Earagail ina measc. Ag teacht ón gceantar is cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge mé. Rugadh agus tógadh mé le Gaeilge, ár dteanga dhúchais. Toisc go n-athraíonn an solas agus an aimsir go leanúnach ar ár dtírdhreach álainn is féidir na ceithre shéasúr a fheiceáil in aon lá amháin; Téann na fachtóirí seo go léir isteach i mo chuid oibre.
Thosaigh mé ag obair mar phéintéir agus maisitheoir ar dtús agus ansin d’fhill mé ar an choláiste mar mhac léinn lánfhásta chun staidéar a dhéanamh ar an mínealaín i Sráid York, Béal Feirste. Agus rudaí eile ag tarlú i mo shaol níor fhill mé ar mo chleachtas lánaimseartha ach le roinnt blianta anuas agus tá an bailiúchán úr saothair seo mar thoradh air. Déanaim péinteáil in olaí agus in aicriligh araon, roghnaím pailléad bríomhar agus is féidir liom cur síos a dhéanamh ar mo chuid oibre mar stíl teibí, áit a mbím ag plé le dath, foirm agus cothromaíocht agus ag iarraidh comhchuibheas sásúil.
Caitlín Ní Ghallachoir
Bealtaine 2025
Is dlúthchara í Caitlín de chuid an nGailearaí, agus tá muid fíorbhuíoch di as an chuidiú, an tacaíocht agus an tsaothair uilig a chuir sí leis an tionscnamh agus guímid gach rath uirthi lena cleachtas proifisiúnta – go raibh mile maith agat Cailtlín.
Ag suí ag an tábla sa chistin tigh Chaitlín agus ag amach amach ar an fhuinneog ollmhór, tugtar faoi deara fairsinge na farraige, bun na spéire agus an spéir - tá sé fíorálainn . Ansin ag fágáil a doras cúil chun dul isteach sa stiúideo, tá tú ag tabhairt aghaidh ar mórgacht an sliabhraon;; anseo tá dhá eilimint atá i ngníomh laistigh de thaithí agus léiriú an ealaíontóra, an s ‘socair agus anord’. Seo é a taithí Ghaeltachta comhaimseartha atá suite i bhfad siar agus ar imeall . . . . . . . rud éigin.
Cé go bhfuil an t-ealaíontóir féin caolchúiseach agus ciúin, is cinnte nach bhfuil a saothar. Tá fás agus forbairt tagtha ar a híomhánna le blianta fada ó fhiorach go fíor teibíocht; bhíomar in ann an éabhlóid seo a fheiceáil trí gach corpas oibre a chuir sí ar taispeáint – agus leanann sé ar aghaidh. Tá an streachailt a mbíonn an t-ealaíontóir ag plé leis soiléir i gcuid dá chanbhásanna, tá an cath le feiceáil agus canbhásanna eile soiléir agus daingean – tá an cath réitithe, tá cothromaíocht againn (smaoinigh ar Felim Egan). Is é an rud atá i gcoiteann ag an dá fhoirm ná an pléascadh agus úsáid chinnteach na dathanna – is dathaí í Caitlín go smior agus leis an meascán comhpháirteanna seo cailleann sí í féin i gcomhrá físe a dhéantar go muiníneach ar an chanbhás.
Úna Campbell
An Gailearaí
Bealtaine 2025
Tá saothar Cailtín ar coimeád i mbailiúcháin mhóra phríobháideacha agus phoiblí lena n-áirítear Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall, An Glebe Gallery agus tá a saothar le fáil in Leabhar Mhór na Gaeilge,
Ag Dathú an Dorchadais: Calm & Chaos
Caitlin Ní Ghallachóir
Caitlin paints beautifully. Her pictures are strong and grand while retaining a quiet confidence often lacking in abstract art.
Her painting has always been sure footed. Her voice in this exhibition is clearer than it has ever been. Her work is firm and these pictures will stay with you.
Adrian Kelly
Curator of The Glebe Gallery, Churchill.
I live and work in Gweedore in northwest Donegal where we have the sea on one side and the mountains on the other including the beautiful Errigal mountain. As a native to the area, I was born and raised through Irish, our native tongue. Because the light and weather changes continually on our beautiful landscape one can experience all four seasons in one day; all these factors seep through into my work.
I originally began working as a painter and decorator before returning to college as a mature student to study fine art in York Street, Belfast. With life’s interventions I have only returned to my fulltime practice in the last number of years resulting in this new body of work. I paint in both oils and acrylics, selecting a vibrant pallet and would describe my work as abstract where I explore and wrestle with colour, form and balance seeking a satisfactory harmony.
Caitlín Ní Ghallachóir
May 2025
Caitlín is a dear friend of An Gailearaí, and we are eternally grateful to her for all her help, support and toil she contributed to the project and wish her every success with her professional practice – go raibh mile maith agat Cailtlín.
Sitting at Cailtín’s kitchen table and looking out the huge picture window one is confronted with the vastness of the ocean, the horizon and the sky – it’s stunning. Then leaving her back door to go into the studio, you face majesty of the mountain range; here are two elements that are activated within the artist’s experience and expression, the ‘calm and chaos’. This is her contemporary Gaeltacht experience which is located far out west and right at the edge of . . . . . . . something.
Whilst the artist herself is understated and low-key, her work certainly is not. Her imagery has grown and developed over many years from figurative to pure abstraction; we have been able to observe this evolution through each body of work she has exhibited – and it continues. The struggle the artist engages with is overt in some of her canvases, the battle is apparent whilst other canvases are clear and firm – the battle is resolved, we have balance (think Felim Egan). What both forms have in common is the explosion and assured use of colour – Caitlín is a colourist to the marrow in her bones and with this cocktail of components she loses herself in a visual dialogue rendered confidently on the canvas.
Úna Campbell
An Gailearaí
May 2025
Cailtín’s work held in numerous private and public collections including Donegal County Council, The Glebe Gallery and her work is included in An Leabhar Mhór na Gaeilge,