Connections Through Creativity

Last night we had the privilege of attending Gormley’s International Art and Sculpture Exhibition held in Charlemont Square Dublin. The exhibition featured over 150 artworks by some of the biggest names in international art including Warhol, Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Banksy, Dali and Hirst alongside many leading Irish artists.

Whilst walking around the exhibition, we found ourselves discussing what pieces we felt a connection to. Many of us were drawn to different works. We all agreed that there was a sense of connection to the space, where art and sculpture merge with the everyday to reveal insights into our lives.

One contemporary Irish artist who we were excited to meet was Maser. Maser has been creating artwork since 2005. His unique artistic style with bold colours, pattern overlays and gestural form has led to a large and dedicated following in Ireland and beyond. His work has been commissioned by many prestigious art organisations including the National Gallery of Ireland, Sotheby’s UK and Art on Paper USA.

Maser grew up with graffiti and street art and it is through this medium he has been able to fully explore his passion of art and creativity. However, it took time for Maser to understand how this passion could evolve into a career. He studied fine art for a period but then dropped out to study graphic design. Graphic design typography is where he found his niche and how he began to develop his signature style. In parallel Maser was already creating graffiti and it was here his love of colour began. Subsequently Maser took what he had learned from his studies to create his own visual language, graffiti, which he views as an abstract typology.

A theme of connections runs through Maser’s work; day to day life, new experiences, meeting new people and travel have all influenced his work. Maser told us:

“I absorb it all and take stock of the moment. Conversations with friends and strangers, interacting and communicating, taking myself out of my comfort zone and being open to new experiences. I can see my life experiences and perspective come through in my work. I see my work communicate and facilitate those thoughts”.

Through our conversations with Maser, he explained that art is part of his identity and is integrated into all other aspects of his life. He is an advocate of the concept ‘integrated lifestyle’ and has learnt that if he takes care of himself through morning rituals coupled with physical training, it creates more discipline in his life to make time for work, resulting in better output. For Maser, progress in his art means he is a better, more present partner, friend and father. In essence, everything works as one.

With Maser’s roots in graffiti, it is not surprising that he also creates murals. One of his most recognised murals was his ‘Repeal’ mural from 2016. The mural’s message was seen across all media, the message was important given the subject matter but there was a sense of community ownership:

“Repeal was quite important obviously for its reason, but also that collective energy, really having no ownership of the work was really nice and seeing it pull people together.”

Maser continues to create street art that speaks for itself and is intended to be interpreted by people in their own way. The “U Are Alive” mural has been a familiar sight for the last nine years on Dublin’s streets and brings a connection to the general population. Maser is proud of this connection and how his art has prompted people to reach out to him to express how it has helped them through life’s journey.

Maser is generous in his attitude to sharing his murals with others and doesn’t crave a sense of personal ownership. He describes painting as a means of processing and expressing his emotions. As he paints, he gains clarity, grows and develops. His view is don’t try to control the art, make it and move on. Thus, he benefits from the process just as the passer-by gains from the finished piece, taking what they want from it.

For Maser, the concept of connections transcends even further through his involvement with ‘The Dublin Boy’s Club’. This is a nomadic man’s group exploring healthy masculinity. The club was originally established in response to rising suicide levels, anxiety and depression amongst men. This idea was brought to Dublin in partnership with Atelier Now - the creative studio of Maser. The group provides a space for men to learn to communicate better with each other and grow into the most authentic versions of themselves. Events include hikes in the Dublin Mountain and the group always welcomes new members.

Our visit was intended as a cultural one, to learn more about the talented creatives in our society but it became much more than that. It was one of inspiration and insight. Whilst we each had our own personal favourites, universally we were energised from the beauty and connections we felt from the works on display.

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Photo sourced by Gormley’s Fine Art and Maser Art