ARDÚ is a street art initiative in Cork which celebrates the city, its culture and history. This year Conor Harrington, Shane O’Malley, FRIZ and Asbestos are each painting a new piece in the streets of Cork City.
Conor Harrington is a painter from Cork who now lives and works in London. Know for his lavish paintings and large scale political murals, which blur the lines between classical and contemporary art, Conor returns to Cork to paint for Ardú 2021.
Shane O’Malley is a visual artist based in Galway. Coming from the graffiti scene and with a degree in Visual Communications from the Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), Shane now produces paintings and murals which showcase his grasp on colour theory through intricate geometric compositions.
Asbestos is a street artist based in Dublin. From posters to large scale murals, Asbestos has become known for his fine details and topical messaging. His piece for Ardú 2021 is called ‘What is Home?’ and raises questions around the housing crisis in Ireland.
FRIZ is a visual artist based in Northern Ireland. Her style is largely influenced by her background in animation and Ireland’s rich mythology and history, including illustrated manuscripts. Her piece for Ardú 2021 depicts the Goddess Clíodhna, a Celtic deity who was the patron of Cork.
The Ardú street art project began in October 2020 and saw 7 murals brighten the cityscape during a year of many lockdowns. Inspired by the 100th anniversary of the burning of the city in 1920, these murals highlight hope and resilience, which are echoed in the project’s name Ardú – the Irish for ‘Rise’.
Aches is a visual artist based in Dublin. With a background in graffiti and having studied at the National College of Art and Design, Aches has taken the street art world by storm. He has produced work throughout Ireland as well as in Europe, the UK and the US. His style is largely inspired by the digital age and utilises techniques such as RGB (Red Green Blue) and pixelation.
Maser is a visual artist based in Dublin. With a background in graffiti, Maser has since gone on to develop a studio-based art practice and has painted murals and exhibited artworks throughout Ireland, the UK and the US. His work is largely inspired by the urban landscape and the balances colour, form and text.
James Earley is a visual artist based in Dublin. With a background in graffiti and graphic design, James has developed his own studio practice which taps into his family’s rich heritage in Irish stained glass. His deconstructed stained glass murals often include a variety of textures found in other aspects of his artistic practice, such as the halftone effect.
Deirdre Breen is a designer and printmaker based in Cork. With a background in Visual Communications from LSAD, Deirdre predominantly produces screen prints which play with abstract geometric forms, symmetrical compositions and colour theory.
Garreth Joyce is a Dublin based graphic artist who predominantly produces stencil collage work. Having studied at LSAD, Garreth has been painting murals since 2016. His piece for Ardú 2020 depicts figures from the Burning of Cork and War of Independence, Terence MacSwiney, Margaret Lucey, The Wallace Sisters & Alfred J Hutson
Shane O’Driscoll is a visual artist based in Cork who predominately works in screen printing. With a background in Visual Communication, Shane adapts his unique abstract style from the gallery to the street. He is one of the co-founders of ARDÚ and currently manages the initiative.
Peter Martin is a cork based stained glass artist and muralist. Having studied at the Crawford College of Art and Design, Peter now works as a secondary school teacher and is one of the co-founders of ARDÚ. His colourful murals can be seen throughout Cork City.
ARDÚ 2021 is running from September – October in Cork City Centre.
To see more visit their website and Instagram.
Participating Artists:
2021
- Asbestos – website and Instagram.
- Conor Harrington – website and Instagram.
- FRIZ – website and Instagram.
- Shane O’Malley – website and Instagram.
2020