‘An Tuile’ takes first in RCPI Climate and Health Art Competition

Climate and Health, a visual art exhibition from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland opened at No 6 Kildare St, Dublin on Monday, 16 October.

The exhibition features selected works from artists tackling the complex theme of climate and health. Dublin artist, Erin Quinn, won first prize for her self-portrait collection, An Tuile (The Flood).

An Tuile explores the idea of a future world affected by climate change and how living "normally" in these conditions might look. Using self-portraiture, news footage, ai, and other tools, Quinn creates a series of scenes to invite the viewer to question their own place within a climate-altered world. The artwork is on display at No 6 Kildare Street until Friday, 20 October.

James Hanley, RHA, Chair of the judging panel, said there was great beauty of artistry and great humanity in Quinn’s submission.

“The future is uncertain. You bravely put yourself centre stage for the drama that will unfold,” James Hanley said.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland launched an open call for submissions in August this year, asking artists – amateur, emerging, and professional – to take on one of the most pressing challenges of our time, the intrinsic interwovenness of the climate crisis and human health.

Over 350 artists entered and 48 were shortlisted for a curated show at heritage-listed building, No 6 Kildare Street, home of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and Ireland’s only medical museum.

The exhibition marks the College’s commitment to providing a space to discuss and propose solutions to climate change. Professor Trevor Duffy, RCPI Head of Healthcare leadership said there is power in art to help us articulate and challenge our own awareness of climate change.

“We have an important role to play in addressing the challenges of climate breakdown and in formulating and promoting solutions to the climate crisis, particularly as it relates to health. There is an incredible power in visual art to articulate the personal and collective feelings and stories of the challenges we are all facing,” Professor Duffy said.

“Each of the 48 shortlisted entries offers a unique take and gets us thinking and talking which is the foundation for envisioning shared solutions that protect health and the planet.”

Humble in her win, Erin Quinn was excited to have a chance to exhibit her thought-provoking work and to celebrate with her children.

“I had been working on this body of work as a personal project – trying to make art as a way of processing my fear and helplessness around climate change. I’m delighted my work resonated with the judges,” Quinn said.

“Seeing images of climate disasters rapidly increasing in the news and imagining what it would be like for families to have their whole lives washed away by flooding or set alight by climate fires shook me deeply.  Our vulnerability as a human race was palpable yet instead of uniting us, it seemed we were continuing to pull apart.  So, I imagined what it would feel like for any of us to try and live "normally" after a flood had destroyed everything. By using myself as the subject in An Tuile/The Flood there's a real sense of bewilderment in each of the images which I hope captures the powerlessness I was feeling.

“Perhaps these images will resonate with the viewer as a reminder that this is a future none of us wants.”

The judging panel, which also included Dominique Crowley, and Dr BethAnn Roch, awarded two special commendations to Hugh Cummins for his sculpture, Look after your health, Look after your meds, Look after the planet, and Sorca O’Farrell for her work Presence.

“Presence reflects the emotional response to the landscape in which the artist walks. I loved the small sparkles of bright coloured pastels scattered throughout the drawing,” Dr BethAnn Roch said.

“Hugh created the most beautiful wooden sculpture of tablets and trays for collecting them. His use of different types of wood, each piece so delicate and beautifully finished. It speaks to the absence of packaging – taking about health but also about what isn’t there,” Dominique Crowley said.

The exhibition is open until Friday 20 October, from 10 am to 4 pm each day at No 6 Kildare St. The exhibition is free and open to the public as part of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Annual Symposium – St Luke’s.

You can choose your favourite in our public vote.

Images by Kenneth O'Halloran and David Coleman.