WEST Belfast artist Deirdre Mackel launches her visual arts exhibition ‘Playpens’ on Wednesday at St Mary’s University College on the Falls Road as part of Féile an Phobail’s programme of visual arts. Her contemporary art exhibition consists of a series of paintings that are influenced by a sense of place and childhood memories, and reassembling of symbolic streetscapes of West Belfast at the height of the conflict – as seen through the eyes of a child. Humour, symbolism and play come into the work through word play and metaphors questioning the notion of ‘playground’ by incorporating early childhood toys, vehicles and race tracks, placed alongside objects that are alien to safe play areas, such as British army Saracens.
