Absent presence

Aidan Dunne talks to Sinéad ní Mhaonaigh, in whose paintings the ideas of home and belonging are central


Absent presence
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Aidan Dunne: Sinéad, you’ve taken on the presidency of the RHA?
Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh: Yes. It’s not something I was looking for, but I’m happy to do it. Several fellow academicians came to me and suggested it. It’s against the background of turbulence there recently and, really, I want to move beyond that. It’s completely counterproductive. The RHA is an artists’ organisation and it’s vital that it functions on that basis. My view is I want to encourage calm, cooperation, positivity. It should be about art and artists working together. It shouldn’t be about personalities. In the end, it’s the art that counts.

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