Sculpture & Combined Media
Eoghan O’Kelly
Encounter
‘ENCOUNTER’ is a performative work which visualises an interaction between the artist and their shadow self, which in this instance is represented by a stuffed doll. The shadow self is a term borrowed from Jungian psychology, formed via the repression of certain aspects of one’s personality. The relationship one has with their shadow is described as follows:
“The shadow is not necessarily an opponent. In fact, he is exactly like any human being with whom one has to learn to get along, sometimes by giving in, sometimes by resisting, sometimes by giving love.”
In ‘ENCOUNTER’, Eoghan demonstrates the evolving relationship that they have with their own identity, specifically their queerness. There are moments of tenderness and calm interspersed with moments of hostility. The artist and their shadow are inexorably linked, constantly trying to find a way to co-exist in harmony.
The associated installation of ‘ENCOUNTER’ places the shadow in the context of a gallery space, along with three short video pieces titled ‘HOLD ME I’, HOLD ME II’ and ‘HOLD ME III’, which show the artist embracing their shadow in different ways.