{"id":381340,"date":"2026-04-15T21:19:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/381340\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T21:19:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:19:16","slug":"monk-artist-explores-the-messiness-of-life-in-limerick-museum-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/381340\/","title":{"rendered":"Monk-artist explores the ‘messiness of life’ in Limerick Museum exhibition"},"content":{"rendered":"

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All Live95 News
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\n Via Limerick City and County Council<\/p>\n

\n The exhibition features paintings of Glenstal Abbey monk Brother Emmaus O\u2019Herlihy.\n <\/p>\n

A new exhibition that bridges the gap between ancient monastic tradition and modern art has officially opened at the Limerick Museum.<\/p>\n

‘The Mystery and the Mud’ features the paintings of Brother Emmaus O\u2019Herlihy OSB, a Benedictine monk and visual artist based at Glenstal Abbey in Murroe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Curated by Maurice Quillinan, the exhibition challenges people to reconsider the relationship between spirituality and the physical world.<\/p>\n

Brother Emmaus, whose academic research earned him the Governor General\u2019s Gold Medal in Canada, centres his work on the principle “caro salutis est cardo”, the belief that “salvation hinges on the flesh.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unlike the polished, “perfect” figures often found in classical religious art, O’Herlihy\u2019s paintings embrace the physical reality of the human person.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His work moves toward a representation of the “messiness of lived experience,” arguing against a mentality that would overspiritualise humans at the expense of their physical forms.<\/p>\n

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Limerick Museum Curator, Dr Matthew Potter, highlighted the significance of having a contemporary monk-artist exhibiting in the city.<\/p>\n

“His practice suggests that the monastic vocation provides a unique ‘cultural matrix’ where the arts can mediate between tradition and the contemporary world,” Dr Potter said. “His work reflects an identity that is in constant dialogue with postmodern sensibilities.”<\/p>\n

Despite his local roots in Glenstal Abbey, Brother Emmaus is an artist with a global reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His commissioned works are displayed in major international cities, including Munich, Los Angeles, Toronto, and London.<\/p>\n

The exhibition will run until April 20th, and admission is free.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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