Athlone exhibition 'Heart Space' deals with grief and healing

A new exhibition titled 'Heart Space' by Tipperary-based artist Katie Byrne has been launched in Athlone Art Gallery in The Village at Burgess.

'Heart Space' launched on Friday, June 6, and will remain on display until Thursday, July 31.

Katie graduated from the Limerick School of Art and Design in 2018 with a BA Honours in Fashion Design, and now works as a visual artist.

Her practice is grounded in her connection with the earth, and uses delicate and intricate, delicate processes which honour slow and traditional methods of flower pressing. Growing her own materials is an integral part of Katie's work, as she plants and nurtures the seeds until they bloom.

The exhibition 'Heart Space' explores the different stages of grief, love, loss and healing, as well as the interplay between love and grief and how one cannot exist without the other.

Katie first started working on the series in March 2024, and she said it was a very intuitive experience.

"I have always been fascinated by the heart. The heart can store memories and events, it has a larger magnetic field than the brain, and it contains over 40,000 sensory neurons that can think independently of the brain.

"There is a reason why people say, ‘follow your heart’ or ‘listen to your heart’. We intuitively recognise the intelligence of the heart. The heart has been our seat of wisdom, intuition and spiritual connection throughout history."

The exhibition deals with the hurt and emptiness left behind by grief, as well as the transformative qualities the heart possesses, and its ability to heal from loss.

The story behind the series of work is very personal to Katie, as her father passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest in July of last year.

"He was at work, on a construction site at the time. His colleague performed CPR for 27 minutes until paramedics arrived. Unfortunately, during this time his brain did not receive the oxygen he required, and he suffered a hypoxic brain injury."

Throughout the exhibition, €20 from each print sold will be donated to The Irish Heart Foundation for the purpose of training people in CPR. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a simple skill that can help save a life.

'Heartspace' also influenced Athlone Street Traders to purchase a defibrillator, which is now in situ on the Burgess building, at the corner of Church Street & Custom Place for the whole community to use.

For enquiries, contact Katie Byrne at askingflowerprints@gmail.com