NAME Rowena Keaveny

EDUCATION: 1982-89. Droitwich High School. 4 ‘O’ levels. 2 ‘A’ levels.
                           1989-92. U.N.L studied towards Bsc.app social sciences.

EXHIBITIONS: (solo)
2008: Pandora went shopping but forgot the list. A.D.F gallery. Belfast.
Bitesize. The Chestnut, Birr. Co.Offaly.
2007: Pandora went shopping. Aras an chontae,Tullamore. Co.Offaly.                      
2006: Jaw Jaw not war war. Dunamaise arts centre. Portlaoise. Co.Laois.
2006: Tower Blocks and Temples. Watergate theatre. Kilkenny.
2002: Painted patchwork memory. Tin jug studio. Birr, Co.Offaly.
2001: From the sea to the shore. Aras an chontae. Portlaoise. Co.Laois.

EXHIBITIONS: (selected group)
2009: Dunamise Arts Centre 10th Anniversary exhibition. (curated by Gemma Tipton/
Kevin Kavanagh. Portlaoise. Co. Laois.         
2008: Winter Exhibition. Source arts centre. Thurles. Co.Tipperary.
: Common ground. (curated by Claudia Woolgar) Birr Theatre and Arts Centre.
: Offaly open submission. (curated by Mary Cremin) Aras an Chontae, Tullamore.
: Ladyfest, Cork.
2007: Offaly open submission.(curated by Paul Murnaghan) Aras an Chontae.
2006: A.D.F Gallery joint Show with Maureen Mcdevitt. Belfast.
2005: Group Show. Four person show. Birr theatre and arts centre. Co.Offaly.

AWARDS:
2008: Artist in the community scheme award-research and development.(Create & Arts council)
2007: The Arts and Disability Awards Ireland. (Arts Council (Ireland) and Arts Council of Northern Ireland)-  Bursary.
2005: The Arts and Disability Awards Ireland. (Arts Council (Ireland) and Arts Council of Northern Ireland)-  Bursary.
2004: The Arts Council (Ireland) - Bursary

WORK IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
O.P.W collection.
Offaly County Council.
Laois County Council.
H.S.E

RESIDENCY AND PROJECTS:
2008: My Space- curated by Cecilia Moore. The Helix, D.C.U. Dublin.
2007/8: Weather Permitting - curated by Augustine O’Donoghue. (outdoor exhibitions and films across Ireland including Galway, Waterford and Dublin)
2007: Film Shots Film Festival- (the colour keeper 7min animated film with Ian keaveny) Birr theatre and arts centre. Co.Offaly.
2007: Barriers - (D.A.S.H) Multi media collaboration. Shrewsbury, Shropshire. England.
2007: Finding Portlaoise (Urban Interventions)- curated by Maria kerin. Portlaoise. Co.Laois.  

EMPLOYMENT:
Current: Anam Beo- Arts in health programme with older people .Clara day care center. Co.Offaly (workshop facilitator)

2008: (Aug/Sep) Alzheimers Society of Ireland. Training care workers.

2007: (June/Jan 2008) Anam Beo co-ordinator. (covering maternity Leave)
2007: (Jan/June) Anam Beo arts in health programme. Birr community nursing unit. Workshop facilitator. Sept/Oct Irish wheelchair association, workshop facilitator. Co.Offaly .

2006: (May/Aug) The attic workshop (mental health project) Workshop facilitator for exhibition project. Tullamore, co.Offaly.
2006/2005: Anam Beo arts in health programme. Ofalia House, Edenderry Co.Offaly. Workshop facilitator.
2006 : (march/Sept 2005) Birr and Shinrone cancer friendship circle. Workshop Facilitator.

2005: Riada house nursing unit and Ofalia house nursing unit. Workshop facilitator. (Bealtaine festival)  Co.Offaly.
2005/2004: (March/Dec) Dochas (cancer support grp) Tullamore. Co.Offaly.

2004: (Sep/dec) Youthreach. Mountmellick. Co.Laois.. Community arts project.

2003: (June/July) Youthreach. Mountmellick. Co.Laois. Summer workshop
programme.
2003/2002: Laois county council summer camp workshops. Workshop facilitator.

ARTISTS STATEMENT.

As an artist Rowena order’s her material against a domestically political structure. Most of her work to date has used my own personal history as its base not to be cannibalistic but to use that as a mirror between the personal and the political, the individual and the universal.

Her practice predominantly examines the interconnections between experience and memory, guilt and responsibility. Rowena examine how these ripple or cause after shocks into subsequent relationships, histories and generations.

Rowena coat’s the surface of the canvas with wood-dye, which through a dynamic chemical reaction creates both texture and atmosphere within the painting.

By using a series of apparently unconnected images within each painting Rowena want’s to create an environment in which the viewers eye can go under the surface and form its own story from what has been seen.

The jigsaw approach to the visual experience is revealed through a specific application of colour. The resulting dialogue created between the subject matter, oil and wood-dye enables the story or resonance of personal experience to whisper rather than scream at the viewer.