Jerry sculpts a Whispering of the soul

AN exhibition by Ennis painter and sculptor Jerry Cahir will run at Kenny’s Gallery in Lahinch until August 24.
The former bank manager left the world of finance after a heart attack in the mid-’90s and says spirituality is at the heart of his work.
“What I believe is that the creator is within us and it’s up to us to tap into that. I see lots of spirituality in everything. Creativity comes from inside, the brush, the hammer and the chisel is led by something and I believe it to be the spirit within. I call the exhibition Whisperings of the soul because that’s what it is.”
He says what he produces is quite modern. “It’s abstract art. The sculpture is partly abstract. I collect shore stones and I see some sort of imprint on them and I work on them myself. I also carve bog oak, bog pine, all that sort of stuff.”
He actually didn’t get involved in art until after his retirement. “I only started this after getting the heart attack and leaving the bank. About two years later, I went and did a workshop on bog oak with a sculptor/artist down in Cahirciveen and it took off from there. I’ve done lots of workshops. I like visiting people and trying to get into their space.”
Jerry says the Burren is an influence on his output. “I came from a pub in Parnell street and there’s a certain Burren theme running through my work. My father was a cattle dealer as well as a publican and I used go up there with him and I still love visiting the Burren,” he said.