digital collage; 2026; Courtesy of the artist.
COLLAGE ON VIEW
Anthony D Kelly: The Lexicon of Wonder
at The University of Galway Art Gallery, Galway, Ireland
8 October-6 November 2026.
Anthony D Kelly collaborated with the University of Galway Art Gallery and Project RARE to launch “The Lexicon of Wonder” project. Inspired by recent research into the emotions of Wonder and Awe, this exhibition features workshops, discussions, and an artist’s talk on the subject during while it is up from 8 October to 6 November 2026.
digital collage; 2023; Courtesy of the artist.
Anthony D Kelly wrote, “Wonder and Awe are complex emotions arising in response to experiences of profound beauty, connection, natural phenomena, or through bearing witness to the incredible capacities, courage, or talents of other human beings. They can also arise at times of great personal crisis or fear such as witnessing the raw power of nature at a time of natural disaster.
Encountering reality through the states of Wonder and Awe can make an individual feel simultaneously small, and deeply connected to the world around them. They are emotions that inspire us to both transcend our own self interests and to delve deeply into our desire for greater understanding. They are in short the emotions of human discovery, and as such the unifying engines of the human curiosity behind philosophy, science, and the arts.
For this exhibition I draw on the contemporary research of Psychologist Dacher Keltner and Philosopher Helen De Cruz into the importance of Wonder as a state of being. This new body of work is inspired by wonder, materials sourced from old children’s scientific encyclopedias and contemporary collage techniques.”
(text adapted from material provided by the gallery)
INFORMATION
The University of Galway Art Gallery
The Quadrangle, University Road
Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
+353 91 495098 (Arts Office).
Hours:
Monday-Friday, Noon-4PM