Stunning photographic and visual art exhibition opens in Portadown

Untitled II, Explosion – Victor Sloan

The visual art exhibition ‘Belonging’ opened to a warm reception in Millenium Court, Portadown earlier this month.

The ongoing event showcases a nostalgic and provocative collection of images of Northern Ireland in the 80’s and 90’s by the celebrated photographic artist Victor Sloan. Alongside the main exhibit is the vibrant and uplifting ‘Finding Home’, which presents the work of two photography students Diana Onana Sava and Maria Vicente.

Belonging

Dungannon-raised Victor Sloan, an alumni of Belfast and Leeds Colleges of Art, began displaying his work in local coffeeshops and libraries in the 1960s. He has since achieved global recognition for his talent, receiving an MBE in 2002. Described by the Irish Times as ‘one of the most iconoclastic, experimental, innovative and audacious photographic artists at work, not just in Ireland but anywhere’, Sloan explores the natural behaviour of people and the shape and form of the Northern Irish landscape during its volatile past.

Sloan has had work exhibited worldwide and the UK and Ireland, including by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Ulster Museum, and the Imperial War Museum, London, but this is his first solo show in his local town of Portadown. The artist has used his trademark blend of photographic film, dyes, paint, and bleaching to span the gap between photography and contemporary expressionism, endowing the pieces with energy and intensity or giving them a dreamy and sometimes haunting aspect.

In Soldier (1991), the subject has been photographed through a chain link fence, with ink and bleach etching emphasising the barrier and creating an image evocative of its time. The Portadown scenes Untitled I, Explosion, and Untitled II, Explosion (1993), taken following an IRA bombing of the town, have a nebulous watercolour-like effect; while Highland Garven Horses Presented by Tanya, Portadown (1994), with its theatrical use of chiaroscuro, is a mysterious and dynamic portrayal of a circus act. In contrast, the monochrome and brutalist Bus Stop, Ridgeway (1981) and Legahory Shopping Centre (1982) offer starkly honest depictions of 1980’s Craigavon. Sloan said he does not aim to convey any particular message with his pieces, explaining, ‘I would hope that viewers would see in them my life and how I reacted to my experiences’.

Self Portrait II (1993), the piece with the most personal significance to Sloan, was created just after the death of his mother, along with a similar piece made for the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland. The image – an arrangement of his mother’s favourite family photographs looked over by a ghostly likeness of the artist – seems to comment on how photography can counteract the transience of life and memory, if only for a while.

When asked what advice he would give to anyone hoping to make a name for themselves in art or photography, Sloan stressed the power of social media: ‘Remember that a few hundred people may visit your exhibition but potentially millions will see your images on the internet. This can now make an artist’s/photographer’s break much more rapid.’ However, he also emphasised the importance of people seeing your work in the real world. ‘Recognition can be a long slow process but stick with it. Keep doing what you do, not what you think people might like.’

Finding Home

In juxtaposition to the retrospective work of Sloan, the joint collection ‘Finding Home’ by Diana Onana Sava and Maria Vicente provides a vivid display of images that speak of modern Northern Ireland, its diversity of cultures, and how the land can offer hope for the future. Both women migrated to the Portadown area from overseas and were mentored by Catriona Corrigan and Victor during a photography course at Millenium Court. Finding Home is their first exhibition.

Diana Onana Sava, originally from Romania, has been living in Northern Ireland with her husband for three years, during which time they have been joined by their daughter Olivia. Diana’s collection is inspired by her love of the natural world and her family: ‘For me, my family is the most important thing; we love spending time together and exploring new places’.

Many of her works feature her husband and daughter in dynamic outdoor scenes under big skies that emphasise the raw beauty of the landscape, including her favourite piece that Diana says, ‘makes her think of an eternal life with them’. Although photography is currently a hobby, it is a dream of Diana’s to become a professional photographer.

Family life is also a central theme in the work of Maria Vicente, who came to Northern Ireland with her family in 2016. Maria was born in Timor-Leste, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, sandwiched between Bali and Papa New Guinea. The artist has been interested in photography since high school and draws inspiration from the support given to her by her family and her own drive to learn and achieve. 

Maria’s work, which focuses on ‘nature, people and landscapes’, exudes warmth and expresses the artist’s journey towards making a home in another culture. A particularly poignant piece for Maria is the portrait of her daughter in traditional Timor-Leste costume, made using the Tais weaving technique characteristic of the country.

The exhibition is a unique opportunity to see a photographic story of Northern Ireland over the decades from contrasting and divergent perspectives. Both the Belonging and Finding Home exhibits are free to view and open to the public at Millennium Court, Portadown, until 18th January 2025.

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