“CLOCHA GEALA” by Sheila Moylan
A journey into the myths and “bright stones” of the Boyne Valley in sculpture and drawing
Irish artist, harpist, and singer Sheila Moylan will present a solo exhibition of drawing and sculpture at the Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith.
The exhibition’s title is “bright stones” or quartz in the irish language, the stones that cover the ancient monument Newgrange in Co. Meath which inspires the exhibition.
Her figures, crafted from wire, charcoal, pencil, and ink, transport us to a long lost world, populated with shape-shifters, gods, goddesses, and time travellers.
Sheila Moylan writes: “For me, to present my work to my own community in the Irish Cultural Centre is a dream come true. The ancient monuments of my native Ireland, exemplified by sites like Newgrange, have consistently inspired subsequent generations to reinterpret and superimpose their own ideas and beliefs upon them, given that the culture that erected them lacked a written language. This absence grants artists the unique opportunity to fill the voids left by archaeology, to breathe life into the stones, illuminating our innate need to connect with our ancient past.”
Artist Website: sheilamoylanart.com
Email: [email protected]
Artist instagram: @moylansheila
All 2D works are available to purchase as originals or prints in various sizes
The Inspiration Behind “CLOCHA GEALA”
“Growing up in Ireland I went on the school trip to Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne) and never forgot the experience, pitch dark inside and then a stripe of light on the winter solstice. Then the mystery of the abstract art on the stones with the meaning “lost to us”. But to me now the space between fact and myth is the place where art can live. The stones themselves reveal the people who carved them and reveal in us our need to connect to a pre-colonial identity.” Sheila Moylan
About The Artist:
Sheila Moylan
Sheila Moylan has a B.A. (Hons) Fine Art Sculpture from University of East London where she focused on body casting and self portraiture. Until 2015 she worked with young people in a variety of settings at one point running an alternative programme to GCSE in Richmond making art the main subject.
In 2018 she exhibited her wire sculptures Office Ghosts as part of Hammersmith and Fulham Arts Festival and in 2020 exhibited her work in a virtual group exhibition for Huddle in Hammersmith. This show is her third solo show after Fire in the Head at Set Gallery West Ealing 2023 and Swans and Stones at Open Ealing Arts Centre Ealing in 2025. She is also a harpist and singer/songwriter whose inspiration comes from Irish myths. She is currently writing a book on the ancient art of the Boyne Valley from an artist’s point of view.
“Moylan’s art seamlessly weaves in and reinterprets the spiral, lozenge and circle designs inherent in Irish megalithic art. Her figures, crafted from wire, charcoal, pencil, and ink, transport us to a long lost world, populated with shape-shifters, gods, goddesses, and time travellers. Moylan’s work represents a collaboration with the megalithic artists of 5,000 years ago.”
Ellie Dodds curator on Fire in the Head
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