Harriet Myfanwy Nia Tahany, a Leitrim based artist, is opening a new solo exhibition in Belfast next month. “Electro’ Cute” opens at the Safehouse Gallery, located on Donegal Street in Belfast, the exhibition runs from 12th – 19th December 2010. The Safehouse Arts Space Gallery was opened in 2002 as a new art space in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. Safehouse aims to provide a gallery which nurtures new emerging art as well as challenging some of the established artistic norms.

Harriet is originally from Wales and recently completed her Masters in Fine Art at the University of Ulster in Belfast. She now lives in Dromahair, Co. Leitrim. Her career has gone from strength to strength since she won the annual Taylor Art award at the Royal Dublin Society in 2007. “Electro’Cute” is Harriet’s second solo show this year. When asked to describe her new set of works, Harriet describes a “surreal fairytale set in a strange futuristic ice age, inhabited by cybernetic sweethearts and cute bionic animal mutants”.  Each work of art offers a glimpse into Harriet’s surreal fantasy world of character’s and narrative, Harriet’s invites us to engage with this new works story telling potential, presented without a beginning or an end, enduringly stir’s the viewer into they own imagination.

The works in this new show portray a commentary or warning about loss of animals and environments. Harriet refers to William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence and Experience” at the time of the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century as being intertextual to her new work, “it’s a futuristic surreal notion about the technology and nature”. William Blake used symbols of childhood in his poetry and illustrations to portray the simple rural life that was becoming threatened by the new age of manufacturing and steam powered industry. Those who are familiar with Harriet’s work will see her trademark theme of  sweetness with darker undertones, which can be identified in much of her previous work.

Harriet explains the inspiration behind this new set of work, “The futuristic elements come as a result of constant environmental disregard, which has caused an ice age. The characters are only surviving in it because they are cybernetic.” A main theme is that nature has become dependent on technology. Ideas include that the world has become uninhabitable without the aid of cybernetic implants and breathing devices, mutant animals have been bred especially to support these technology dependant humans and that the world is entering a strange new era.

The exhibition is in two main media, sculpture and painting.  ”Electro’ Cute” opens on Sunday 12th December 2010 at 2.00 pm. All are welcome to celebrate this new collection of work and to meet Harriet in person.

Leitrim based, award winning artist Harriet Myfanwy Nia Tahany is opening her first solo exhibition since completing her Masters in Fine Art at the University of Ulster in Belfast. Harriet, who lives in Dromahair was awarded the prestigious Taylor Art award by the Royal Dublin Society in 2007 after completing her bachelors degree in Fine Art at Sligo IT.

“Leprechaun Lolita” opens at the Art Mart Studios’ Gallery, located on the Mall in Sligo, the exhibition runs from 10th – 17th July 2010. The Art Mart Studios is an independent art space recently founded by three local Artists who use the space to create work, curate exhibitions and organise events to compliment the art scene in the North West.

Harriet presents new works which take inspiration from Lolita, the Japanese cultural street movement. She puts these themes into an Irish context by including stories and characters from Irish fairy tales. Harriet attempts to make Irish folklore accessible for today’s modern society by updating them through mixed media. Harriet has studied trends in global art and has adapted these for Irish representation.

Lolita is a Japanese street fashion inspired primarily by the clothing and general aesthetics of the Rococo and Victorian periods. This fashion movement started in Japan in the 1980s and has evolved greatly since. Nowadays Lolita fashion has grown to be relatively popular all over the world. There are many sub-cultures to Lolita, such as gothic lolita (leaning towards the dark side) or sweet lolita (incorporating the colour pink). Harriet adds Irish flavour to this trend in her multi-media representation to create a new Irish sub-culture to the movement, “Leprechaun Lolita”.

The exhibition is in various media, including watercolour, oil paint, sculpture and ceramics. Harriet also introduces new techniques to her portfolio in fabric and doll making crafts. These new techniques are well illustrated with “The Banshee”, a suspended ceramic sculpture incorporating both doll making and fabric crafts. Paintings include “The Phouka”, which are reminiscent of Harriet’s earlier works and the familiar duality of sweetness with darker undertones.

The exhibition opens on Saturday 10th July 2010  at 7.00 pm. All are welcome to come and celebrate this new collection of exciting work and to meet Harriet in person.