A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: New Prints by Frank Kiely

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Stephen Dedalus, the young protagonist of 'A Portrait…' experiences the world from the unique perspective of a fledgling artist, growing up to rebel against the political and religious orthodoxy of turn-of-the-century Ireland in the pursuit of artistic independence. In this series, Frank Kiely reimagines scenes from the novel in a contemporary setting and probes key themes that remain relevant today, including ideas of childhood and education, art and perception, religion and nationalism. Kiely's bright and inventive scenes demonstrate both the urgency and prescience of Joyce's tale of a young man's artistic and spiritual growth.

Frank Kiely (Artist): “"I am delighted to have the opportunity to show my exhibition A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man at the James Joyce Centre. It is an honour to have my pictures, created to mark the centenary of this masterpiece of a book, presented in such a beautiful space.”

Mark Traynor (Director of the James Joyce Centre): “We’re thrilled to host this exhibition coming off what has been an exciting year of celebrating, re-reading and discussing one of the seminal works of the modernist period. Kiely’s vivid, bold prints are a fascinating interpretation of the work and demonstrate just how keenly the themes that obsessed Joyce have rippled across the decades and into the work of Ireland’s contemporary artists.”