Anne Rigney, formerly Anne Rigney Lally, is an Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 artist

Artist

An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...

 and sculptor. Her work is mainly abstract

Abstract art

Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...

, using oil paint

Oil paint

Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the...

, watercolour, acrylic paint

Acrylic paint

Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...

 and found object

Found object

A found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature...

s.

She is a graduate of Athlone Institute of Technology

Athlone Institute of Technology

Athlone Institute of Technology is the only higher education institution in the midlands of Ireland. Established in 1970 as Athlone Regional Technical College, it has expanded in size, scope, and influence over the period...

, where she studied art

Art

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....

 and design

Design

Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...

. She is a co-founder of the professional art group Working Artists Roscommon (W.A.R.), and is also a member of The Association of Artists in Ireland.

Her work is influenced by her surroundings of the rural

Rural

Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 Irish midlands where she lives and by her life experiences.

She has had many solo and group exhibitions

Art exhibition

Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...

, both in Ireland and internationally. Her works have been exhibited at The Kenny Gallery

Kenny Gallery

The Kenny Gallery is an art gallery in Galway, Ireland.It was established in 1940 by Des Kenny & Maureen Kenny firstly as a book shop. In order to develop the business, Des and Maureen turned their attention to Irish Crafts and Art...

 in Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

, The Dyehouse Gallery in Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

, The Wexford Arts Centre, The Mullingar Arts Centre, and the Embassy of the United States in Dublin

Embassy of the United States in Dublin

The U.S. Embassy in Dublin is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Ireland. Dan Rooney is currently the U.S. ambassador to Ireland....

. She has also exhibited in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and her many of her works are held in public collections, such as at Athlone Institute of Technology, Roscommon County Council

Roscommon County Council

Roscommon County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Roscommon in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The head of the council has the title of...

, The Office of Public Works

Office of Public Works

The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...

, and Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is a subsidiary of the French drinks conglomerate Pernod-Ricard S.A.. It was acquired in 1988 in a friendly takeover.-History:...

. Exhibitions of her works have been opened by Mary O'Rourke

Mary O'Rourke

Mary O'Rourke is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She is a former Teachta Dála for the Longford–Westmeath and Westmeath constituencies. She served as Minister for Education , Minister for Health and Minister for Public Enterprise...

, John Waters

John Waters (columnist)

John Waters is a columnist with The Irish Times and a former editor of Magill magazine. His career began in 1981 with the Irish political-music magazine Hot Press. He went on to write for the Sunday Tribune and later edited In Dublin magazine and Magill...

, and Kieran Meagher, head of Art & Design at Limerick Institute of Technology

Limerick Institute of Technology

Limerick Institute of Technology is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland . The Institute has four campuses in Limerick City, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional...

.

She has received several Arts Council

Arts council

An arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad...

 awards, including a residency at The Tyrone Guthrie Centre

Tyrone Guthrie Centre

The is a centre for creative artists at Annaghmakerrig, Newbliss, County Monaghan, Ireland, founded in 1981.The house was the family home of Tyrone Guthrie, and it was his will that it be used as a retreat...

, Artist in Schools, and Artist in the Community. She has also received the travel award for Cultural Events in Krakow

Kraków

Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

.

Reviewer Ian Wieczorek wrote about her in The Irish Times

The Irish Times

The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...

, "in the abstract Anne Rigney produces striking and provoking works".

Originally from Mount Temple, near Moate

Moate

Moate is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland.The name An Móta is derived from the term motte-and-bailey as the Normans built an example of this type of fortification here. The earthwork is still visible behind the buildings on the main street....

, County Westmeath

County Westmeath

-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...

, she now works from her studio at her home in Knockcroghery

Knockcroghery

Knockcroghery is a rural village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located on the N61 road between Athlone and Roscommon town, near Lough Ree on the River Shannon.-Name:...

, County Roscommon

County Roscommon

County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

.

External links

• Official website
• Official page on Facebook
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