FAMILY MATTERS

Thursday 20th. August – Sunday 6th. September 2026

Cnoc Buí

Union Hall, West Cork, P81 X 274

Family Matters is an exhibition of works of sculpture and drawing by a trio of artists; a dad, a daughter and a husband, because… within this particular conceptual thread of exhibitions at Cnoc Buí, focusing on families of artists, it is the family connections which have focal relevance. Questions will undoubtedly flow through this relevance to family connections whilst aesthetic and subjective meaning will flow perhaps with another kind of relevance altogether through the artworks.

Pat Connor’s ceramic sculpture reveals a deftness of hand with the material through a practiced ability to manipulate its physical properties to his will for more than 50 years. His figurative works are expressive and replete with emotional content.

Born in Dublin, Pat studied at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) before moving to West Cork in 1971. He represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale in 1980. A seminal figure in Irish ceramic sculpture, his work is held in major public collections, including the National Museum of Ireland and the Arts Council of Ireland.

Michael Quane RHA draws upon the surface of the limestone with a tungsten-carbide-tipped chisel until eventually the loose flabby boulder is drawn ever tighter into a deliberate form. His subjects enquire subtly of attachment and belonging.

A member of Aosdána and the Royal Hibernian Academy ( RHA ), Quane is one of reland's most prominent sculptors. He has exhibited internationally and is renowned for his direct carving in limestone and marble, with major public commissions sited across Ireland, such as "Horses and Riders" at the Mallow roundabout.

Mistaken by our assumptions and caught in the wire of nostalgia, Johanna Connor looks to find herself lost in a thicket of significant meaning, where the traces upon the landscape remain in evidence from the activity of people with their endeavours.

Originally a set and costume designer for leading institutions like The Abbey Theatre, Johanna returned to fine art following a life-altering illness. She holds a MA in Art and Process from the Crawford. In 2025 she was commission by the Glucksman to make work for the recent exhibition Domain of the Dinosaurs. Her work is held in prominent Private Public, County Council and National collections.