THE female form has been used for eons as inspiration for art. The opportunity for Janice Cherry's current exhibition at the Cultúrlann, Torsos was given to her on the back of her degree show at Belfast School of Art in 2023. Janice is now completing a Masters in Fine Art but this has not stopped her from completing work for the large exhibition space. The highlight of the exhibition is a series of female torsos. The sculptured glazes on the surface of the torsos are like archaeological finds, as if dug up from some long forgotten battle. The exhibition description explains perhaps the battle of life and the "contemplation of sharing of knowledge, skills and resilience to life's challenges and traumas passed on through memory from our ancestors".

The viewer is invited to consider the contribution which their own ancestors have made to their own abilities to overcome and celebrate our vulnerabilities and strengths through our shared human experience.

Since her degree show Janice has discover how to make her torsos bigger in size and the monumental presence of these pieces take her work on to another level. Unusually they are made to go inside or outside and celebrate the female form at every stage of life.

Smaller vessel pieces are also shown in the exhibition but I think the exhibition could have done with some of these being edited, so the viewer focuses on the stronger pieces. We look forward to what else she works on during her MFA.

Torsos: Vulnerability and Resilience by Janice Cherry is open every day until 25 July.

Also showing in the Upper Gallery is Dominic McKeown's What Held You Back?

Dominic's exhibition is playful and recognisable to anyone with a shed, desk or mantlepiece from which they store random pieces of treasure behind each other. The colours show that there is a more conscious decision to place pieces together and the humourous way it has been installed emphasises the intention of the exhibition. They are considered and soothing, showing his first degree's teaching in textiles and fashion.

Dominic says: "I am interested on how things support and hold one another. These works are to highlight the enjoyable side of making. I wanted to construct the positive thoughts on areas of ongoing research and personal experiences as a neuro diverse person as it has given myself deeper understanding of how I work and navigate as an artist."

There has been an increase in understanding about neurodiversity in the arts and an effort to see the extra skills and observations that being neuro diverse can bring. Dominic is a graduate of Belfast School of Art and currently a research fellow at Bath Spa University.

Dominic McKeown What Held You Back is open until 25 July at Cultúrlann.