The Pigyard Gallery, Wexford, is proud to present a new collection of works by Esther O’Kelly, inspired by the Irish folklore of the "stray sod" and seachrán sí. These legends recount tales of wayfarers who experience confusion and disorientation while traveling through familiar landscapes that suddenly shift into unfamiliar, otherworldly terrains. In these moments, the landscape becomes strange and unrecognizable—landmarks disappear, lights rise and drift in the distance, and the natural world turns eerie, indefinite, and unnamed.

This collection is a reflection on the experience of "going astray" within the creative process itself. The work explores dreamscapes that capture the uncanny, releasing the potential of the unconscious. Touching on themes of climate anxiety and our fraught relationship with nature, O’Kelly delves into the intersection of landscape, history, and identity, alongside personal experiences and perceptions. Each piece invites the viewer to navigate landscapes that are both familiar and unfamiliar, inviting introspection on how we relate to the natural world around us.

Exhibition dates: October 17th – November 7th, 2024.