Hinterland: MASER

Rhodes Contemporary Art is delighted to present Hinterland, a solo exhibition of new paintings by the contemporary Irish painter Maser.

Returning to London for the first time in years with this new collection of work, Hinterland takes viewers on an immersive discovery designed to remove you from the studio placing you directly into nature. 

Over the past few years Maser has honed his craft and established a large following for the distinctive and bold painting style seen in Hinterland. For the exhibitionthe artist has adapted this style with newer subject matters and has looked to nature and the outdoors as his oeuvre. Specifically, the inspiration for his work emanates from the time the artist has spent in his native Irish countryside and his experiences and relationship to it.

As an avid hiker and sea swimmer, Maser has taken-on many landscapes across Ireland and the UK in pursuit of mindful moments, which connect him to the elements of nature and an inner feeling of presence. These regular experiences in the outdoors bring a sense of grounding to the artist, acting as a sounding board to clear his mind and alleviate stresses of daily life. These paintings, although visually bold and exciting are actually about finding an inner peace and an environment where you can truly be yourself.

Viewers are encouraged to follow the creative journey of the artist with each textured brush stroke. When viewed up close, the paintings reveal finer details that cannot be seen from afar, much like the woodlands which inspired the show – creating a shared intimacy between the artist and audience.

The black hand painted graphics seen in the paintings are representative of botanical forms and the exposed woodgrain of the bespoke frames, aim to further reinforce that naturalist elements at play as well as bring the narrative full circle.

In what promises to be a bold and energetic series of works, we are excited to see Maser’s artistic development and how he has adapted his distinctive style to a new and deeply personal subject matter.

With a career spanning more than two decades, Maser has created work extensively throughout Ireland for a variety of well-received exhibitions and events, as well as creating commissioned artworks for collectors throughout Europe, North America, Australia, Western & Eastern Africa.

Aside from participation in several exhibitions this year, Maser cultural contributions range impressively from collaborating with the National Print Museum of Ireland to create a special edition work on paper for their collection, numerous public installations and mural projects as well as previously working with the National Library of Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland & the Sydney Opera House. Maser has work in the collections of the Seamus Heaney Museum, National Gallery of Ireland.

Further projects include collaborations with the band U2 & the artist JR.