Rowena Keaveny
Artist Rowena Keaveny, originally from England, has been living in the Midlands since 1999. Having moved from Laois in 2003 she now lives in Birr. Rowena has always painted in a non-traditional way, often using a variety of different tools such as window cleaning blades and rollers. Although she now uses brushes and oil paint, Rowena coats the surface of the canvas with wood-dye which through a dynamic chemical reaction, creates both texture and atmosphere in the painting.
Her new work moves towards symbolic representation of the human condition. “A sociology teacher at school said to us that ‘the personal is political,’ and he was completely right. This statement has been a huge influence on my work and continues to be so to this day.
As an artist I feel that it is important to make space for examining potentially ‘difficult’ aspects of the human condition, to challenge the viewer and to ask questions even if you know the answers might not always be easy to hear”
Rowena has enjoyed several solo and group shows throughout Ireland, has been the recipient of several awards and is included in various public collections.'
