A Name Unmade: Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917)

A new contemporary visual arts exhibition exploring the life and work of poet Francis Ledwidge has opened at the Nerve Visual Gallery, Ebrington, in Derry~Londonderry.

A Name Unmade: Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917) features work by six contemporary visual artists presented in response to the Meath poet in the centenary year of his death.

Famously remembered as Ireland’s soldier poet, Francis Ledwidge was stationed at Ebrington Barracks for a period in 1916 before being posted back to the Western Front in January 1917.

During his time in Derry~Londonderry, he wrote some of his most famous poems about the events of the Easter Rising. He died on July 31 1917 during the third battle of Ypres in Belgium.

A mix of paintings, photography and sculpture are on display from artists Patricia Burns, David Farrell, Clare Langan, Mick O’Dea, Niamh O’Malley and Sasha Sykes.

There is also a Creative Centenaries interactive zone with animations, graphic novels, an interactive exhibition and multi-screen projection of archive footage.

The exhibition, curated by Sabina Mac Mahon and Declan Sheehan, travels to Nerve Visual following its launch at the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan earlier this year.

Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Reconciliation Fund, it aims to reintroduce Ledwidge, his life story and poetry to the public by exploring the conjoined themes of love and loss that were central to his work.

A Name Unmade: Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917) is open Tuesday - Sunday until October 1 at Nerve Visual Gallery in Ebrington and is free to attend.

Pop-up family activities will take place in the Creative Centenaries exhibition space every weekend. For more information visit www.creativecentenaries.org.