A unique piece of art created by a Galway sculptor will be exhibited at Galway’s Portershed Gallery next week as part of a public arts fundraising campaign for the charity GOAL.
Donnacha Cahill’s design, entitled ‘The Hermit Crab’, is one of 100 globes that will form GOAL’s ‘What on Earth’ campaign. In total, 100 artists from across the island of Ireland have contributed a piece of art to the project. The globes are to be auctioned off in a bid to raise valuable funds and awareness for GOAL’s vital work as they continue to provide support and humanitarian aid around the world.
All the artists were given a blank, white resin-globe sculpture at the start of the summer and asked to create a design of the choice. The 100 globes are currently available to view online - with bidding having already started - and they will be touring the country over the coming weeks.
Donnacha Cahill, who works mainly in steel, said he believes a good piece of sculpture must communicate an idea or a story.
“My piece is in response to the current refugee crisis and how everybody on this planet should be entitled to have a home,” he said. “The hermit crab is born without a shell and has to find one for protection. Over its lifetime it will need larger shells as it grows. As the crab leaves its home, another crab takes its place and the home is recycled. There is an element of sharing and communication between the crabs that makes this possible. I believe this is a lesson that can be learned by us as a society.”
Other artists from the West whose work will be exhibited include Mayo’s Hetty Lawlor and Adrienne Finnerty; Sligo jewellery designer, Martina Hamilton, who has collaborated with Leonie Cornelius; Aisling Reynolds from Sligo; Roscommon’s Joe Caslin and Leitrim’s Cormac O’Leary.
The online auction is now open at www.goalwhatonearth.ie and the globes will remain on that site and open to bidding until Thursday, November 28 at 7pm.
A selection of globes will go on display at The Portershed Gallery in Galway from Tuesday, October 2 to Saturday, October 6.
