Following on from the success of the dedicated Minaw Collective ‘street art’ exhibition space in Kildare Village in 2021, Kildare Village is delighted to further its commitment to artistic talent in Ireland with Ireland’s first ‘Open Air Art Gallery’, showcasing new murals from 14 emerging and established female artists from the Minaw Collective.
“This new and vibrant exhibition is a natural evolution from the dedicated space we had for the Minaw Collective artists last year” says Victor Biffi Rosano, Business Director at Kildare Village. “We love to inspire and delight our guests with new experiences so this year we wanted to evolve and bring the art to life creatively in the mall and go bigger, bolder and brighter for an artistic experience with a festival vibe for the summer months.”
Taking its name from the Irish word ‘mná’, meaning women, the Minaw Collective is a diverse group of artists from all over the world, each currently based in Ireland. Celebrating equality, diversity, and tolerance through the medium of street art, the artists exhibiting in Kildare Village showcase their work as an expression of empowerment among women artists.
Kildare Village welcomes Louise (aka Luhweezie), an established signwriter and mural artist; Claire Prouvost, an artist, illustrator, and muralist; graffiti artist Zurdie, who’s Spanish and based in Dublin; muralist and illustrator Klo Wi; Aru (aka Bubu), an energy healer and artist based in Drogheda, and painter Harriet Myfanwy Nia and more, as outlined below.
Claire Prouvost
This summer, Kildare Village will be open until 8pm each evening and the shopping experience will be further enhanced with a calendar of summer entertainment like no other for families and children. With something for everyone to enjoy, Kildare Village is the perfect destination for a summer evening or weekend of shopping, al fresco food and drink, and entertainment, Kildare Village has summer wrapped up.
Enjoy a game of giant Jenga, or let your little ones experiment with giant building blocks as part of a day spent exploring the Village. Get hands on with building block workshops, keep brains buzzing with the Junior Einstein science programme, or show off your strengths at the family fitness classes. Mini Sherlock Holmes in the making will enjoy the daily scavenger hunt trail, with clues popping up at every corner, and the chance to win a prize. Meanwhile, those with a creative streak can take part in the Project Fashion Academy run by designer Paul Alexander and his team. Or, unleash your child’s creativity and let them learn a skill that will last a lifetime and get hands-on experience in a fun, educational way at Kildare Village’s Fashion Design Workshops for children and teenagers. All entertainment will run on Friday and Saturday from 12pm-4pm.
The entertainment extends into evenings as the Village comes to life every Thursday from 4–8 pm, all summer long, with the help of DJs Marty Guilfoyle and Emma Power, along with pianist David Owens and jazz musicians The New Brass Kings and Sax the Beats. Soak up the summer sounds as you take in summer styles, bright colours, bold patterns, and sunny accessories from your favourite brands. Lighten your load with Hands-free Shopping, available at The Concierge, with your shopping bags stored for collection at the end of your visit.
The Minaw Collective Artists Exhibiting at Kildare Village:
After graduating with a degree in design from the National College of Art & Design, the Dublin-based Louise (aka Luhweezie) established herself as a signwriter and mural artist. She currently works at Mack Signs as an apprentice sign writer.
France-born, Dublin-based, Claire works as an artist, illustrator, and muralist. In her work, she explores the complexity of relationships, connections, and feelings – capturing these through deconstructed figures, intuitive lines, and expressive, colourful shapes.
With more than 15 years’ experience painting graffiti, Zurdie – who’s Spanish and based in Dublin – has perfected her skills in character design and illustration. Still, her original love was, and always will be, typography.
A muralist and illustrator, Dublin-based Klo Wi explores the human form through various mediums in her work, from digital design to murals and street art. Her colourful expressions of characters are packed with personality and humour.
Aru (aka Bubu) is an energy healer and artist based in Drogheda. By using bright colours, light symbols and motivational messages of self-awareness, her work aims to inspire viewers to be the best version of themselves. Alongside her art, Bubu helps run AruOner, an urban well-being brand.
Harriet Myfanwy Nia lives off-grid in Leitrim’s mystical ‘iron mountains’. A painter, her narrative-based artworks feature distinctive, wide-eyed feminine characters. She takes inspiration from the changing visual landscape of childhood in an era defined by popular culture.
Dublin-based Chelsea Jacobs (aka Chels) is an American contemporary painter and sculptor. She interprets the human form and circumstance through stylistic interpretations, and often uses mixed-media techniques and genre-bending.
Since graduating from the Dublin Institute of Technology with an BA in Fine Art in 2012, Emmalene Blake (aka ESTR) has been honing her craft as a street artist. Based in Dublin, she works as a visual artist and creates predominantly large-scale murals.
Vanessa Power is a lover of typography – something made evident by her exhibition name, Signs of Power. Inspired by the world of pop art, Vanessa creates bespoke typography pieces in a variety of sizes and mediums, in her recognisably vibrant style.
Both a muralist and illustrator, the Dublin-based Holly Pereira produces work that’s always bold, fun, and colourful – regardless of the medium. Through her art, she aims to create vibrant environments in which the viewer is invited to play. Recently credited in the Irish Times Hot List.
Whether she’s working on walls or on paper, Jess Tobin (aka Novice) has always loved to draw and paint faces. Today, she pairs this with illustrations featuring funny Irish sayings to create artwork that’s truly unique.
A mural artist born and based in Dublin, Anna has been painting walls all over Ireland for more than 10 years. She’s obsessed with colour and geometry and loves how murals and street art can transform a drab grey wall into something inspiring.
Having travelled the world learning about different cultures, Kathrina Rupit (aka Kin Mx) uses this as inspiration for her work. A street artist, she takes these experiences and mixes them together in different shapes, textures, and colours, on every wall she paints.
Though she’s currently using spray paint, Friz is a Northern Ireland-based artist who works in both traditional and digital mediums. Her art focuses on the female form and identity – who we are, where we come from, and our connection to the natural world around us.
