Andre O’Kelly

Statement

At the moment my work is focused on capturing the essence and energy of wild animals and birds. This stems from many years of working and living with a wide variety of amazing animals and birds around me. Having grown up in Africa I have been inspired for many years by Khoi-San rock paintings and their ability to portray animals and tell stories, capturing so much life with so little detail. In contrast, my work is often highly detailed, using precise but also expressive marks to describe animals but my main aim is also to capture the energy or feel of the animal. Since moving back to Ireland I have become highly interested in Irish history and landscapes and aim to start making prints telling stories about Irish history, people and places. In addition, I have also been interested in Irish mythology for some years and would also like to explore some of the incredible tales and characters found in Irish mythology.