‘Portrait of my daughter (flooded)’, oil on canvas, 186x204cm. 2021/2

Bernadette Kiely is a visual artist based on the quayside of the river Nore in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. Known for her powerful portrayals of the fragility of the natural and physical world, Bernadette draws particularly on her experiences as a child growing up on the quayside in Carrick on Suir, Co. Tipperary, where she witnessed many flood events which have continued throughout her life as an adult living on the river Nore in Co. Kilkenny. The effects of flooding and decay on land and human lives have been an enduring theme in her practice for over 25 years expanding in scale and intensity along with the urgency of the present climate emergency. Bernadette is represented by Taylor Galleries, Dublin and is a member of Aosdana, the governmental body of artists who are deemed by their peers to make a continuing significant contribution to the arts in Ireland.

“Bernadette Kiely’s Don’t Need No Country, Don’t Fly No Flag at the Paintwork’s Gallery in Galway during the summer was a wonder. it’s a visual arts exhibition about borders and a warming world. Flooded landscapes, drawing from memories, past emotions, the flooded street, the flooded house, river rats, debris and how you live through it all on the river Nore. A haunting exhibition that lingers in the mind.” Rita Ann Higgins, Poet and member of Aosdana (Irish Examiner, September 08th, 2024).