A Ballincollig-based visual artist who will be showcased at Ireland’s largest art fair Art Source has told how a colour-blind man said he was able to ‘see’ colours again after attending one of her exhibitions.
Marian Basta (33), whose Cubist work has been inspired by the colourful paintings which hang in Orthodox Coptic churches in her native Egypt, was exhibiting a selection of her oil and digital artworks at an arts festival when she was approached by the man in the gallery.
Marian said the art lover was a Ukrainian national who kept complimenting her work during a show in Kerry last June.
“The man approached me and told me: ‘Your colours are so vibrant, and I will tell you a surprise’,” said Marian, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo, Egypt, 10 years ago.
“He said: 'I am colour-blind and I can’t see colours at all. But when I came to your exhibition I could almost see colours again because they are so strong’. That made me so happy.”
Marian, who is heavily influenced by Cubism, a style in which objects are presented in an abstracted form, will be one of 160 Irish and international artists whose work will be on display at Ireland’s premier art fair, Art Source, at the RDS from November 11-13.
She said she only realised her dream of becoming a full-time artist after she and engineer husband Joseph (35) swapped Cairo for Ballincollig, Co Cork, in 2018.
Baste grew up in the busy, fast-paced, summery and energetic Cairo, surrounded by a very rich artistic heritage from ancient Egypt.
Temples with saturated wall paintings and graceful expressive statues left a significant mark on her work where vibrant primary colours are used to achieve that alongside moving curves that can sometimes feel very chaotic yet beautiful and in harmony.
“It seems like all my life I wanted to become an artist but never realised it,” she said.
“As a child, I was always painting but I didn’t take my work seriously until my art teacher said to me, ‘Look, you have something, just go and study art’.
“After graduating in Cairo, I had a few small exhibitions, but nothing major.
“But here in Ireland I have participated in K Fest, which was a huge success, and have had one of my paintings ‘Mid Summer's Lava’ chosen by The Royal Ulster Academy for its 2022 exhibition in Belfast.
“I never thought so many people in Ireland would appreciate Cubism in the same way I do, because Cubism is not everyone’s cup of tea.”
An exhibition by Damien Hirst, the English artist who recently burned hundreds of his artworks, will be the centrepiece of Art Source.
The fair will also play host to a unique sculpture garden featuring over 40 top Irish and international artists featuring works by renowned sculptors such as Patrick O'Reilly, Salvador Dali, Giacinto Bosco, Ian Pollock, Eamonn Ceannt, Bob Quinn, Anthony Scott and Sandra Bell.
Over 15,000 people are expected to attend the year’s biggest and most exciting art show, which will feature 160 of the best contemporary Irish and international artists and galleries.
Irish art lovers also have the unique chance to get their hands on 100 pieces of original artwork for €100 each on a first-come, first-served basis on the opening morning of the show on Friday, November 11.
The show will also feature Source Your Own Art, a free children’s pop-up art workshop where youngsters are invited to express themselves creatively in response to the art they see at the fair.
For further information, see ArtSource.ie.
