A visual artist with a deep-rooted connection to the landscape, Mairead Holohan creates work that serves as a meditative record of fleeting moments in nature, captured on paper.
Her artistic journey began in childhood, shaped by an early fascination with both drawing and horses that opened up the countryside to her. This lifelong passion for the natural world has recently been formalised through postgraduate studies in Art and Ecology.
Working primarily in watercolour, she has gained significant recognition for her skill. She was a finalist in the Royal Watercolour Society’s Contemporary Exhibition at London’s Bankside Gallery and has been featured in numerous open selections across Ireland. Her command of the medium allows her to work with confidence across a range of scales, from intricate detail to expansive, fluid works reminiscent of Chinese watercolour traditions. She is also a recent member of the Irish Botanical Art Society.
Her practice is defined by a patient commitment to “slow art”. It often begins in a specific place, where she engages all her senses, documenting initial observations in concertina books. These books become intimate diaries, charting her personal response to an environment and its subtle changes over time.
These sketches are later transcribed in the studio into large-scale works on paper and board. Using her own handmade inks, natural pigments, and occasionally wax, she allows each piece to evolve organically through a slow, deliberate dialogue with her materials and subject matter—a process that can take months for a single work.
Aligning with her environmental principles, Mairead Holohan is dedicated to sourcing and creating sustainable, soil-safe art materials.
Original artwork is available for purchase directly from her studio by arrangement. She also regularly exhibits during Kilkenny Arts Week each August in Thomastown, County Kilkenny.
For inquiries, to view available work, or to learn more about her practice, please use the contacts below.
@maireadholohanartist
MaireadHolohan.wordpress.com
Maireadholohan57@gmail.com
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