‘Looking Back’

Exhibition of paintings by Kevin Walshe at Nenagh Library

Kevin Walshe is the owner and managing director of Walshe signs in Nenagh but is perhaps equally well known for his creative side.

For years a member of the local amateur dramatics society, Nenagh Players, where he was prominent both on stage in many productions down through the years, and backstage as a director; during lockdown he returned to his roots as a graphic designer and this exhibition, called ‘Looking Back’, is the result.

Lockdown in 2020 was hard; some people bought a pedometer and sought the Holy Grail of 10,000 steps a day, others tried their hand at baking bread.

Kevin preserved his sanity during that dismal period by drawing.

Armed only with a variety of graphite pencils and turning inward, he remembered faces he had seen; not knowing the individual but their image having stayed with him, snapshots of family members caught unawares, and wonderfully random images drawn from his own imagination, he began to commit them all to paper and so work his way through that tough year.

Nenagh Library is showcasing the results of his work this April. Entitled ‘Looking Back’, this selection of beautifully mounted illustrations are stunning in their simplicity and beauty. If you see nothing else this month, treat yourself to a visit to Nenagh Library and come and check out Kevin’s work.