Mary A. Kelly

Mary A. Kelly was awarded the 2019 RCSI Art Award for her work 'Add and Subtract the Marks, Poke My Fingers and Even My Head all the Way Through' at the 188th RHA Annual Exhibition.

Her commission for RCSI is titled 'I make these promises solemnly, freely, and upon my honour’. Drawing on a recurring motif in her practice – the symbolism of the chair – it evokes the relationship between practitioner and patient, medicine and health. The title of the work is inspired by the commitment to professionalism proclaimed by new students at the annual White Coat Ceremony as they begin their journey towards a career in healthcare.

Mary commented: "As I initially explored RCSI, I happened on the day of the White Coat Ceremony. This declaration is recited by RCSI students at the beginning of their training and on graduation. The ethos of humanity at the core of these words was the starting point for the work.

"The commission allowed me to explore an area that was close to my heart – the relationship between the medical practitioner and the patient. The timing in the middle of the COVID pandemic was also pertinent. I chose two chairs from the College and placed them in relation to one another, side by side, as a metaphor for doctor and patient. They are both forward facing, looking in the same direction. There is a shared intimacy. It was a particularly fulfilling commission for me artistically and creatively."

About the artist

Mary A. Kelly is a contemporary Irish artist who lives and works in Greystones, Wicklow. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including New York, Chicago, Paris, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Helsinki and Brussels and has won many awards over the years, including the Irish American Arts Award in New York and the Markievicz Gold medal for Best Emerging Sculptor.

Her work is held in public and private collections including Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and Leinster House.