A CELT IN SINGAPORE

Work by Brother Joseph McNally
July 6 through August 11, 2002

The Friends of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, in conjunction with the Embassy of Singapore under the gracious patronage of Her Excellency Chan Heng Chee, is proud to sponsor this exhibition of works by Brother Joseph McNally. An exhibition at two venues, A Celt in Singapore will be on view in Target Gallery through August 11, and at the Embassy of Singapore in Washington DC from July 15 through July 19.

Born in Ballintubber, County Mayo, Ireland in 1923, Brother Joseph has been a prominent figure in Singapore's art scene since the mid-1950's. The works in A Celt in Singapore reflect themes from both his native and adopted homelands. For instance, Earc Luachra is made of Irish Yew wood and the title means "lizard" in Gaelic. Likewise, Gae Bolga and Flower are made of reclaimed native Irish tree trunks. In contrast, the piece Huo is not only made of Malaysian belian ironwood, but also physically spells out the word "fire" in Chinese calligraphy. Yoga Man, Signature, and Hua likewise refer to the language and culture of the artist's surroundings. Other themes revolve around the interaction of the natural world and human civilization (Nature-Nurture), the origins of life (The First Big Bang, Creator), and human rights (Aung San Suu Kyi).

Brother Joseph received his PhD in Arts Education from Columbia University in 1972. He is currently President Emeritus of LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore, a prestigious art institution that he founded decades ago. His work has been exhibited in Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Bermuda, and across the United States. The government of Singapore awarded Brother Joseph a Meritorious Service Medal for his outstanding achievements as an artist, cultural activist and educator.