Celebrated Limerick artist and sculptor brings together work in exhibition

CELEBRATED artist and sculptor Tom Fitzgerald has brought together his life's work under one roof for a special exhibition which officially opens this weekend.

The Limerick City Gallery of Art (LCGA) is playing host to more than 100 of his pieces dating from the 1980s up to the present day.

Codenamed Spirit Music, the exhibition is a celebration of his long career and contribution to the visual arts both locally and nationally.

Mayor Daniel Butler will cut the ribbon at the showcase on Saturday afternoon, with the exhibition then open to the public until May 8. Entry to the exhibition at the gallery beside the People's Park is free.

"The whole idea for this exhibition came from the notion of getting together a group of work I've been making over the years," Tom explained.

Known for his sculpting, an injury a few years ago saw Tom switch focus to painting, something which picked up during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Asked what he hopes people take from the display, Tom said: "The average person likes to see something that they can recognise. That it isn't so abstract that it makes connections with people. I feel art is about connecting with people. Most of the work here is recognisable if you like."

A significant part of the collection is the Celtic Zoo, a series of mainly water colour paintings and paper drawings from 2004 to 2014, which provides an acerbic commentary on the Celtic Tiger exceses of the period.

The famous sale of Eircom shares, and developer bankruptcies in the crash that followed are addressed in this element of the collection.

Below: An installation of Tom's work in the South Gallery of the LCGA

Tom studied at the Limerick School of Art and Design and later served as head of the sculpture department from 1976 to 2000. He was also a founder member of Limerick's EV+A International festival in 1977.

His early work is predominantly sculptural using limestone and other materials including slate, wood and glass.

Spirit Music is an invitation to look at his work in different ways: quiet/resonant, internal/external, corporeal/ethereal, all of which are embodied in this exhibition.

Above: An installation of Tom's work in the North Gallery of the LCGA

Although Tom's work has been exhibited internationally, his life, education and practice has been in Limerick city and county.

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Una McCarthy, the director and curator of the Limerick City Gallery of Art said: “Spirit Music is a celebration of this artist’s body of work over 40 years and provides us with an opportunity to see the development of his work over this period. It also takes us on a journey at times mythical and whimsical and others caustic and satirical, ensuring that the ‘past is not a foreign country’."

Below: A Tilework installation from Tom

“The catalogue to accompany this exhibition to be published in mid-April 2022 contains essays by Sean Ó Laoire, Gerry Dukes and Niamh Nic Ghabhann, who all present a close pen-portrait of this ‘pure artist’ and his significant and ongoing contribution to the visual arts in the Mid-West and Ireland," she added.

Entry to the Limerick City Art Gallery Exhibition is free. For a preview and further information, please click here