Photography became a way to stop. To listen.
To feel part of something larger, slower, and more ancient than myself.
A vision becomes physical
After months of walking, composing, writing, and editing, Éire i Dubh Agus Bán is finally approaching its most tangible form: the exhibition.
Not just a conclusion, but a transformation — from quiet reflection into physical presence, from digital files into objects that inhabit space, respond to light, and invite people to pause.
This process marks the moment in which the work leaves my personal world and begins a new phase of its life: one of encounter and interpretation.
The material choice: presence and precision
The photographs will be printed in fine art quality on foam board with a gloss finish, giving depth to shadows and brightness to highlights — essential for the expressive range of black and white.
Each image includes a subtle white border and a caption underneath, noting the place, viewpoint, and year.
There will be:
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18 landscape prints (60 × 30 cm)
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2 vertical portraits (30 × 60 cm)
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2 square images (60 × 60 cm)
Next to each photograph, a small framed QR code will be installed, linking to a dedicated page on my website where the story behind the image is shared.
These are not just prints — they are memories made visible:
moments shaped by sacrifice, wonder, perseverance, and above all, pride.
This project has grown over more than a year and a half, and it carries a weight that I cannot fully describe — but I hope can be felt.
Hanging the work with lightness
The exhibition will take place in the Carrigaun Room at Ballymaloe House — a space that carries calm and elegance.
The mounting system will be minimal and discreet:
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Each print will be suspended from transparent plastic cables attached to a nearly invisible ceiling-mounted rail.
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A small hook will hold the top edge of each print, allowing it to rest gently against the wall, creating the impression of weightlessness.
The result is a layout that feels light, balanced, and open — much like the landscapes it portrays.
Lighting the presence
The existing lighting system in the room will be carefully adapted to highlight each photograph.
Most images will be illuminated with soft, diffused light, while a selection of key works will receive focused spotlightsto create moments of heightened intimacy.
All lighting will use a neutral white tone, preserving the subtle grayscale of each photograph and avoiding color distortion.
Letting the room decide
There will be 23 works in total, distributed across all available wall space.
Rather than arranging them in advance by location or theme, the final sequence will be chosen the day before installation — guided by the architecture of the room, the natural light, and how each image relates to the space and to the others.
This intuitive, responsive approach reflects the spirit in which the photographs themselves were made:
by observing before deciding, by listening to place, by allowing form to emerge.
“Each wall becomes a pause.
Each photograph, a breath held in black and white.”
A space for encounter
This exhibition would not be possible without the generous support of Breen Allen, who offered me not only the most beautiful room at Ballymaloe House, but also the opportunity to extend the show across a full month.
The exhibition will also remain open during the Ballymaloe Food Festival (May 16–18), drawing in a wide and diverse audience.
All curatorial decisions — from layout to sequencing — have been entirely in my hands. The freedom to follow the visual and emotional rhythm of the work has been a gift.
What I hope
Every image in this exhibition was created in an inner space —
one shaped by attention, solitude, and a deep emotional bond with the land.
I hope that those who enter the room will find a moment to reconnect with that same space within themselves:
a breath, a pause, a feeling of belonging.
Not a spectacle, but a space.
Not a message, but a presence.