Reach out, pull Me closer – Murrough O’Donovan 

18 April – 16 May 2025 

Opening event Thursday 17 April, 6pm 

Studio 12, Backwater Artists Group, Wandesford Quay, Cork 

Tuesday to Friday, 10am – 5pm.  

Backwater Artists Group is delighted to present our Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary Exhibition for 2025, Reach out, pull Me closer, by Murrough O’Donovan.
 
This exhibition aims to construct a ritual space, where the viewer is drawn into the natural cycles of creation and destruction present in all living things, and meditates on how these have been warped by human activity. The installation also considers the loss of ritual in modern culture and how this has damaged our connection to the world around us. It questions whether we can create a renewed bond that will allow us to return to a more balanced relationship with non-human life and the biosphere. 
 
Partially sculpted pieces of a fallen beech tree, taking inspiration from the ‘world trees’ of ancient mythologies, represent the body of the earth, upon which various processes and materials propose a metaphorical reflection on the effects of the Anthropocene on our planet.
 
Stand on their body,
Put your feet in their blood,
Put your head in their arms,
Stretch with them,
Reach out to Me,
Pull Me down,

Pull Me Closer.

Murrough O’Donovan is an Irish Artist based in Cork City. He was born in London in 2000 and moved back to the family farm, in West Cork, in 2009. He completed a QQI Level 5 course in Art and Design at Cork College of Commerce, West Cork Campus in 2020. He graduated with First Class Honours in Fine Art from MTU Crawford College of Art and Design in 2024. He was awarded the Backwater Artists Ciaran Langford Memorial Bursary, for his degree show work and the MTU Crawford College of Art & Design Sculpture Residency.  Exhibitions include Chrysalis (2023), Lest We Salt the Earth (2024) and Reach out, pull Me closer (upcoming).  

Working in sculpture, installation and drawing, Murrough O’Donovan explores ecological destruction and the traumatic effects it has on individuals, communities and the natural world. Taking inspiration from ancient mythology and rituals, as well as the traumatic effects of industrial resource exploitation on the landscape and ecosystems around the world, Murrough creates sculptures and installations using wood taken from fallen trees, from the forest around his home in West Cork.  

Backwater Artists Group is an artist-led organisation, located on Wandesford Quay, in the heart of Cork City. Our mission is to support and advocate for visual artists, allowing them to thrive, to foster a deep appreciation and enthusiasm for the visual arts within the community and to keep sites of production at the heart of Cork city. We are a key fixture in Cork’s cultural landscape and we sustain a thriving visual arts community. We currently have 100 artists in our various memberships. Since our inception in 1990, we have supported the practices of over 500 artists, including 150+ early career artists. 

Backwater Artists Group Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary is awarded to a graduating artist from MTU Crawford College of Art & Design, who demonstrates talent and ambition in their work practice. The award includes a free studio space for 6 months, a solo exhibition with associated supports, including an artist’s fee and mentorship by a relevant art professional. In 2024/2025 Murrough has been mentored by Stephen Brandes. 

 
Photos by Seán Daly

Exhibition Text

Written by Sarah Long
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