An Exploration of Kenmare through Painting

Mill Cove Gallery is proud to present Grace Vaughan’s second solo exhibition, featuring her most ambitious and expansive works to date. Inspired once again by the incredible town of Kenmare, this new body of work reveals Vaughan’s evolving visual language—bold, layered, and deeply rooted in place. With a background in Art & Design from Liberties College and an MA in Scriptwriting from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Vaughan brings a richly interdisciplinary sensibility to her painting. Her career spans editorial writing and creative education—collaborating with institutions such as the University of Edinburgh and Beaufort College, Navan, and working across media that include radio plays, children’s books, puppet theatre, and award-winning visual content. She is represented by Marianne Gunn O'Connor Literary Agency

Now, Grace returns to Kenmare—the town that has consistently stirred her imagination—with a new perspective and larger scale. These paintings, her largest to date, delve deep into the soul of Kenmare, portraying both iconic landmarks and overlooked corners. Her dynamic brushwork, at once fluid and deliberate, breathes motion into stillness. Interestingly, the absence of people does not create a void; instead, it heightens the sense of presence—of lives lived, stories unfolding, and the town in continuous transformation. Muted palettes, carefully interrupted by bursts of vivid colour, lend each canvas a rhythmic energy. Vaughan’s compositions are not just visual narratives but emotional maps, offering moments of reflection and rediscovery. Whether you are a longtime resident or a first-time visitor, these paintings will shift how you see Kenmare. As both artist and storyteller, Grace Vaughan continues to offer us new ways of seeing. Her work in this exhibition is a testament to Kenmare’s enduring charm, seen through a lens that is thoughtful, edgy, and unmistakably contemporary.

John Goode