From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan
From the Forest to the Ocean One-Day Only Pop-Up Solo Visual Art Exhibition by Mary Moynihan
October 15 @ 11:00 am – 5:00 pm IST
A one-day showing of Mary Moynihan’s solo exhibition combining photography, poetry and film inspired by physical landscapes and seascapes and their connection to landscapes of the soul and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean.
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Artists
Mary Moynihan, Writer, Poet, Creator of Art and Photography, Artistic Director, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality, Arts Curator for the annual International Irish Arts and Human Rights festival.
Ciara Hayes, Producer, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality
Freda Manweiler, Company Manager and Producer, Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality
EM Creative, Graphic Design
Jody Hogg, Graphic Design
Full Event Details
From the Forest to the Ocean is a powerful solo exhibition featuring the work of Irish artist Mary Moynihan. Bringing together photography, poetry, and film, this multidisciplinary exhibition draws inspiration from the physical landscapes of nature and the deep interconnectedness of life — from forests to the ocean.
Concept
The artworks map physical landscapes and seascapes to landscapes of the soul and are rooted in reflections on nature, journeys of interconnectedness, and the art of letting go, exploring the boundaries between the natural world and the human spirit. The work creates a synergy between the evocative beauty and fragility of the photographic landscapes and seascapes of counties Dublin, Wicklow, Kerry, and France, combined with the emotional impact of poetical texts in written and in a poem-film format.
Inspirations
Mary Moynihan is a writer, poet and creator of art and photography. Mary’s work is rooted in reflections on nature and the interconnectedness of the human spirit and the natural world around us. Our personal well-being is inseparable from the well-being of our planet — on physical, emotional, spiritual, and intuitive levels. Nature and creativity inspire us to look after ourselves, each other, and the planet we live on and to search for more sustainable ways of living. Visitors are invited to step into a space of reflection and self-expression, exploring the delicate boundaries between the natural world of landscapes and seascapes and the human spirit. The work evokes a gentle yet profound invitation: to breathe, to reconnect with the rhythms of life and love, and to re-wild both the landscape and the human soul.
This stunningly beautiful exhibition nurtures a dialogue between inner and outer worlds, reminding us that nature, creativity, and humanity are deeply intertwined. The artworks linger in the mind and heart, offering a lasting sense of connection and prompting reflection long after leaving the gallery.
The one-day only exhibition is accompanied by ‘Ancestral Voices + Human Rights’, an Artist Talk and poetry reading taking place on Thursday 15 October 2026, 1-2pm. Tickets €10.
Artist Mary Moynihan discusses the imagery and stories behind From the Forest to the Ocean and shares a selection of her original poetry, reflecting on how place, memory and the ancestral voices of those who came before can inspire and shape our lives today. Followed by an audience Q+A.
Mary Moynihan (she/her) is an award-winning writer, poet, theatre and film-maker and a creator of art and photography. Mary is Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality, and Artistic Curator for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival.
From the Forest to the Ocean – Background
From the Forest to the Ocean is inspired by reflections on nature; journeys of interconnectedness and the art of ‘letting go’, linking physical landscapes of nature from the forests to the ocean to landscapes of the soul. The original concept for the exhibition From the Forest to the Ocean is by Mary Moynihan, a writer, poet and creator of art and photography. This exhibition is part of a triptych – Landscapes of the Soul (Part I), From the Forest to the Ocean (Part II) and a third exhibition (Part III) to be presented in 2027. Following their successful exhibition in 2024, titled Landscapes of the Soul (Part I) artists Mary Moynihan and Hina Khan were delighted to return to Rathfarnham Castle Gallery in 2024 to present a new multi-disciplinary exhibition titled From the Forest to the Ocean (Landscapes of the Soul Part II) featuring the work of both artists. In 2026 a solo show by Mary Moynihan was presented from March to September at the Smashing Times Visual Art Gallery, 30 Sandycove Road, Dublin and as a one day installation to the RHA on Thursday 15 October 2026.
Speaker Biographies:
Mary Moynihan, MA, she/her, is an award-winning author of novels, poetry, films and plays, from Dublin, Ireland. Mary embarked upon her award-winning career as a writer in theatre and film and has garnered much acclaim for her plays, poetry and short film scripts, and for creating interdisciplinary artworks combining writing and photography presented in galleries and online. She established and became Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is Artistic Curator for the annual Dublin Arts and Human Rights festival. Mary has an honours BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an honours Masters in Film Production from TU Dublin.
After raising four children, now adults, Mary dedicated her time to becoming a writer. She writes fiction for young people and adults featuring stories of courage, laughter, tragedy, happiness, love, death and action-packed adventures. Mary pens a series of articles titled Creative Reflections on Arts, Creativity, Leadership and Self-Esteem which appear in the Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality newsletter and on Mary’s website marymoynihan.ie
In her free time Mary loves to spend time with her four adult children and hang out with friends. She swims in the sea all year round. She loves the ocean, sky and moon and has a spiritual connection to the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea, to the environs of Dublin bay and to the mystical landscapes of Valentia Island and the surrounding Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry, her spiritual home. She is a big fan of the Dublin Gaelic football and hurling teams.
Organisations Involved / Partner Organisation(s):
