There is a familiar quality to Miriam Mc Connon Papageorgiou ‘s recent work, like they communicate something that is personal to us. Her paintings are dependent on patient observational skills and an attention to detail. The work is hugely atmospheric and exudes a nostalgia that is both beautiful and sad.
These paintings were inspired by a small machintosh box which held her father’s memories from his childhood in inner city Dublin. The box held letters and photos from the narrative of his early years as a child growing up in Dublin in the 1950’s.
The absence of the human presence is felt in these paintings. It is this absence that allows the viewer to focus solely on the objects and the space they occupy. It is the simplicity of these domestic scenes that touch us and hint at the complex emotions that are evoked through the memory of simple and mundane everyday life.
Miriam’s recent paintings make us question the power that nostalgia has over us and its necessity in our lives.
