About
Lorraine Lawlor lives and works in Dublin and has a degree in Fine Art from Dublin Institute of Technology, now TU Dublin. ‘Into Memory’ was her third solo exhibition following ‘Dirty old Town’ in the Talbot 101 restaurant in 2004 and ‘Landscape, Interrupted’ in the Ivy House, Drumcondra in 2008. She has also had work in group exhibitions and auctions. After a detour into children’s literature in 2013 she returned to painting in 2017.
She has also worked as a freelance workshop facilitator since graduating in 2002, and was a regular workshop leader in the Chester Beatty Library for over a decade, designing and leading workshops based on the Museum's collections.
‘Into Memory’ Axis Ballymun, Sept -Dec 2021
‘The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living’
Marcus Tullius Cicero
When we lose someone we try to find ways to cope with the loss and to keep the person with us. Myth, memory, superstition, mementos, dreams, nostalgia, religion, prayers, traditions, ceremonies, heaven, angels, graves, rituals, keepsakes, snapshots, stories, beliefs, poetry, places, family, photographs, memorials. These are some of the ways that we try to keep our memories alive and our loved ones with us.
This series of artworks was my response to losing my father in 2016 and an exploration of some of the above themes. The paintings are oil on canvas and the “remembrance plaques“ are mixed media collage on wooden blocks.
I have continued to focus on the above themes in my work and have been commissioned to do some remembrance plaques to commemorate and celebrate lost loved ones.
My new work has been inspired by the ‘snapshot’ theme, moments captured in time that would otherwise disappear forever. Some examples of this new work can be found in the gallery.
‘Fragments’ Damer House Art Gallery, Roscrea Tipperary, 19 July - 16 August 2025
‘Fragments’ is a 2 person show with Melissa Corish, an Irish artist who grew up in Liverpool.
This work explores themes such as shared histories, memories, nostalgia, human connections, the passing of time, disappearing years and the fading of lost moments.
The photos used in these pieces are found photos featuring unidentified people with unknown lives, but there is something universal in each image. Love, friendship, family, laughter, connections between people. These photos were taken with love to remember a happy moment, a special occasion or just to celebrate the act of spending time together. These photos shed light on the ordinary moments that shape our lives.
The work is influenced by Japanese woodblock printing and the art of Wabi-Sabi, celebrating the passage of time and appreciating the beauty of faded things. It attempts to restore the importance of these long forgotten moments, these precious reminders of life.
