Limerick artist shortlisted for RDS Visual Art Awards
The Limerick-based artist is among 12 emerging artists selected for the inaugural exhibition at Gallery at RDS
KODJO (Isac) Kossivi has been selected for the RDS Visual Art Awards 2026, opening the new dedicated contemporary art space, Gallery at RDS, this November.
Kossivi studied Sculpture and Combined Media at Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD) and works across sculpture, performance and mask making.
His socially engaged practice explores immigrant identity, cultural heritage, community, care and belonging.
His selected body of work, Threshold of Belonging, comprises multimedia masks made from repurposed painted fabrics and jewellery, alongside mixed-media bicycle helmets and a proposed live performance activating selected masks through music, dance and movement.
Collaboration and care are central to his approach, with his practice informed by work with community artists and institutions in Limerick and his position within the city’s creative community.
The RDS Visual Art Awards 2026 exhibition opens on Friday, November 6, and runs until Saturday, January 23, 2027.
The 12 artists were selected by six independent curators who visited graduate exhibitions across Ireland in April, May and June.
The exhibition will be the first to open at Gallery at RDS, a flexible two-storey exhibition venue on Simmonscourt Road, with open-plan gallery spaces and opportunities for learning, engagement and public access.
Paul McAree, curator and 2026 RDS Visual Art Awards judge, said: “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.
“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.
“The new gallery provides a dedicated space for audiences to engage with this work and marks an exciting new chapter for the RDS’s visual arts programme.”
The RDS Visual Art Awards provides a curated exhibition opportunity, a prize fund of €32,500 and vital exposure for emerging visual artists as they move into early professional practice.
The 2026 judging panel comprises Rachel Joynt, Christina Kennedy, Paul McAree, Sarah McAuliffe and Patrick Murphy.
The winners of the 2026 RDS Visual Art Awards will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday, November 19.
The 2026 RDS Visual Art Awards artists are:
Kodjo (Isac) Kossivi — Limerick School of Art & Design | Limerick
Aoife Dunne — Limerick School of Art & Design | Laois
Ava Bowden — IADT | Kildare
Beth Gaule — Crawford College of Art & Design | Waterford
Caoimhe Kelly — NCAD | Kildare
Hannah Forde — ATU Sligo | Sligo
Harrison Connally — Crawford College of Art & Design | West Cork
Jennifer O’Brien — NCAD | Dublin
Jools Reilly — TU Dublin | Dublin 8
Nikol Ochichenko — IADT | Dublin
Róisin Ní Chonaill — TU Sherkin | Sherkin Island, Cork
Sarah VanDermeer — Burren College of Art | The Burren, Clare