Current Exhibition

Castlemorris Woods brings together a body of work created by Irish painter Donald Teskey following his 2022 Tony O’Malley Residency in Callan, County Kilkenny. During the year-long residency, Teskey immersed himself in the ancient woodland surrounding Castlemorris, a landscape he had long wanted to explore through painting.

Working first en plein air and later developing the images at a larger scale in the studio, Teskey created a series of richly layered “woodscapes” in oil, acrylic, and charcoal. Oak, beech, birch, larch, and ash fill these lush, living compositions, where dense foliage, shifting light, and the vertical rhythms of the trees evoke the atmosphere of a primeval forest.

Best known for his powerful depictions of the Irish coast, Teskey here exchanges sea and rock for the enclosed world of the woods. These immersive landscapes draw attention to the vitality and endurance of the forest, and to trees as both ancient presences and essential, life sustaining forms within a natural world increasingly shaped by climate change.

Presented by Oliver Sears Gallery, Castlemorris Woods is shown concurrently at 92NY in New York and at the gallery in Dublin, linking the two cities in a celebration of Teskey’s work in his 70th year. Together, the exhibitions invite viewers to consider the beauty, complexity, and quiet force of the natural world.

Viewing Hours:  The exhibition is open to the public free of charge on Sundays and Tuesdays from 9 AM–12 PM with the following exceptions: Tuesday 9/8 (Open 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM), Closed Sunday 9/13, Closed Tuesday 10/27 (Open Monday 10/26), Closed Sunday 11/1 (Open Monday 11/2). At all other times, it is accessible to ticketed patrons attending events in Kaufmann Concert Hall and the Weill Art Gallery.