Palace of The Biscuit Tin
Palace of The Biscuit Tin is a solo exhibition by Irish artist Cian Donnelly, featuring a broad selection of works from his practice; painting, drawing, sculpture, model-making, and costumed song performance.
Transforming the space of CCA, Donnelly, in collaboration with Lawrence Street Workshops, creates an ambitious mobile theatre set. Two new performances, Wig Play and Houseboat, are presented within this constructed fictional space. With the aid of costumes, props, and orginal songs the performances bring the fantastical world of Donnelly’s drawings to life in poetic and proudly absurd manner.
Speaking about his practice, Donnelly states, “I have been trying to develop my drawings and song, into vignettes of an imaginary psychedelic musical. Paintings and sculptures also function as props within the fictional narrative of these sketches.”
Cian Donnelly (b.Dublin, 1974), completed his BA in Fine Art at University of Ulster, Belfast in 1997 and an MA at Winchester School of Art, 2000-2001. Recent exhibitions include Two Peacocks, Gallery North, Newcastle, Cuntstone and Clown (with John Walter), Five Years Gallery, London, and Burnt Wig Blues, Third Space Gallery, Belfast. He has received a number of awards; including a Bursary Award from The Arts Council of Ireland in 2011, SIAP funding from The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Fellowship at The British School at Rome 2007-2008.His work is part of several collections including that of The National University of Ireland and The Arts Council of Northern Ireland Permanent Collection.
