An Abbeyleix artist has been selected as one of just 12 emerging artists from across Ireland to feature in the prestigious RDS Visual Art Awards exhibition in Dublin next month.
Aoife Dunne, a graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design, will have her work showcased at the inaugural exhibition at the new Gallery at RDS, which opens on November 6.
The exhibition will run until January 23, 2027, and will feature work from some of Ireland’s most promising emerging artists, who were selected following a nationwide search of graduate exhibitions.
Dunne’s artistic practice spans a wide range of disciplines, including sculpture, installation, drawing, photography, sound, cartography and publication.
Her work explores the relationship between the body, personal identity and the surrounding environment, with a particular focus on disability, accessibility and the use of public spaces.
Her graduate installation, Connective Tissues/Cognitive Mapping, brought together a sound walk, audio installation, sculpture and a printed publication.
The project also incorporated a disused park bench donated by Laois County Council, examining themes of movement, disability and access to public spaces.
Dunne has already received recognition for her work, including a Percent for Art commission and being shortlisted for a Spacecraft Graduate Residency.
She has also featured on RTÉ 2’s This Is Art and previously worked as a NASC Network Young Curator at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise.
Her selection for the RDS Visual Art Awards represents another significant achievement in her emerging artistic career.
The 12 artists were chosen by six independent curators who visited graduate exhibitions at art colleges across Ireland during April, May and June.
Their work will feature in the first exhibition at Gallery at RDS, a new two-storey venue on Simmonscourt Road in Dublin.
The exhibition will showcase a variety of artistic disciplines, including painting, sculpture, photography, film, textiles, sound and installation.
The RDS Visual Art Awards also offer a combined prize fund of €32,500, providing financial support and exposure to artists beginning their professional careers.
Paul McAree, curator and one of this year’s judges, said the exhibition provides an important platform for emerging talent.
“The RDS Visual Art Awards provide an important opportunity to encounter the breadth and ambition of emerging visual art practice in Ireland at a pivotal point in these artists’ careers,” he said.
“This year’s selection reflects the diversity of approaches and perspectives coming through our art colleges, and it is particularly exciting to bring these artists together as the first exhibition at Gallery at RDS.”
He added that the new gallery would provide a dedicated space for audiences to engage with contemporary visual art.
The judging panel for the 2026 awards comprises Rachel Joynt, Christina Kennedy, Paul McAree, Sarah McAuliffe and Patrick Murphy.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on November 19.
The RDS Visual Art Awards exhibition opens on Friday, November 6, and runs until January 23, 2027, at Gallery at RDS in Dublin.
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