‘I could almost see colours again!’
A colourblind man has said he can almost see colours again after attending an exhibition by a Ballincollig-based visual artist.
Egyptian cubist artist Marian Basta was exhibiting a selection of her oil and digital artworks at an arts festival in Kerry when she was approached by the Ukrainian man in the gallery.
Recalling the special moment, Marian said: “The man approached me and told me, ‘Your colours are so vibrant and I will tell you a surprise; I am colourblind and I can’t see colours at all, but when I came to your exhibition I could almost see colours again because they are so strong’.”
Having grown up in Cairo, Marian only realised her dream of becoming a full-time artist after she and her husband Joseph swapped the Egyptian capital for Ballincollig in 2018.
“It seems like all my life I wanted to become an artist but never realised it,” said Marian.
“As a child, I was always painting but I didn’t take my work seriously until my art teacher said to me, ‘Look, you have something, just go and study art’.
“After graduating in Cairo, I had a few small exhibitions, but nothing major. Here in Ireland I have participated in K Fest, which was a huge success, and have had one of my paintings, ‘Mid Summer's Lava’, chosen by The Royal Ulster Academy for its 2022 exhibition in Belfast.
“I never thought so many people in Ireland would appreciate cubism in the same way I do, because cubism is not everyone’s cup of tea.”
Marian will be 1 of 160 Irish and international artists whose work will be on display at Ireland’s premier art fair, Art Source, at the RDS from 11-13 November.
The fair will play host to a unique sculpture garden featuring over 40 top Irish and international artists, featuring works by renowned sculptors Patrick O'Reilly, Salvador Dali, Giacinto Bosco, Ian Pollock, Eamonn Ceannt, Bob Quinn, Anthony Scott, and Sandra Bell.
Art lovers will also have the chance to get their hands on 100 pieces of original artwork for €100 each on a first-come, first-served basis on the opening morning of the show on 11 November.
The fair will also feature Source Your Own Art, a free children’s pop-up art workshop where youngsters are invited to express themselves creatively.