Peace Heroines

The Irish Cultural Centre is delighted to host ‘PEACE HEROINES’, a vibrant and celebratory exhibition of work by contemporary artist FRIZ. These portraits, marking the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA25), are on loan from the Irish Embassy in London.

Exhibition background: Following an open call in 2021, Sligo native FRIZ was commissioned by multi-disciplinary storytelling platform Herstory in collaboration with the National Museums NI, to create a series of portraits for the Peace Heroines Project, which would capture the dynamism, bravery and legacy of the remarkable female peace activists of Northern Ireland.

Each portrait captures the essence and spirit of these women, depicting their strength, resilience, and unwavering commitment to peace. Each portrait is accompanied by a contextual note on how these women engaged with Northern Ireland’s socio-political climate during this transformative period.

The exhibition is a testament to the power of collective action and the invaluable role played by women in the Northern Irish peace movement. Through the artistry and vibrancy of these portraits, it serves as a powerful reminder of women’s strength and resilience, whose efforts continue to shape the world today.

This set of portraits has been reproduced by the Irish Embassy from digital photos of the artist’s original works, which first hung in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Stormont and went on to tour Ireland. This secondary exhibition is kindly funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland (DFA), and will tour across Great Britain.

The Herstory Peace Heroines Project, which also includes an educational exhibition, was created by Herstory and originally funded by the DFA’s Reconciliation Fund.