Brian Flynn: Who is Bridie?

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Brian Flynn, “Bridie II,” 2024

oil paint, cold wax medium, phototransfer on canvas, 60" x 48" (courtesy of the Gallery)

Opening Reception: Friday, September 13th, 5 - 8 pm

Who is Bridie? pays homage to the many strong women in Brian's family. His Grandmother, Mother and Aunt are all named Bridie. "Bridie is a feminine name of Irish origin that stems from the name Brigid, meaning “exalted one; fire goddess; power, strength, vigor; virtue.” Bridie is light and lovely, with a background steeped in Celtic mysticism."

If people make places, what happens to the bonds that shape our identity and sustain community, when social fabrics are fractured by unexpected upheavals or migration?

Referencing the truism that most peoples, or their antecedents, have faced conflict, Brian Flynn’s new series of paintings Who is Bridie? depicts both familial rupture and fresh growth, heralding lost pasts and future presents that distill the positive from pain.

With a studio practice that recalibrates human vulnerability, Flynn mines tension and turmoil emanating from his family’s fight for independence during the Troubles, aka Northern Ireland’s civil war. Trading on both personal and universal elements of conflicted humanity, Flynn’s shadowy and enigmatic figures evoke emotive qualities that offer resolve, mortal fibre, and enduring contemplation.

- Dick Averns, curator

Artist Talk | Saturday, September 14th @ 3:30