GROWING up in the foothills of Benaughlin Mountain, surrounded by creative family members, Mark Healy's interest and enthusiasm for art and design developed from a young age.

His journey as an artist has taken him from his home county of Fermanagh to studying in England, and for a time in Seoul, South Korea.

Now settled in Enniskillen, he is engaged in many aspects of the world of art, from creating his own pieces to curating the works of others.

Although working in various media and styles in his own practice, Mark is currently focusing on his illustrative work, where he likes to "tell the small but very significant stories of the overlooked groups of society".

Here he tells The Impartial Reporter about his most ambitious piece, to date, where he exhibits his work and what art means to him.

What is your artistic background?

PEOPLE in my family have always done art in some shape or form, so I grew up with the idea that I could contribute to what was done before me.

I went to Fermanagh College to pass my A-Level in Art and Design, then achieved my distinction in my foundation course.

From here I went on to get my BA Hons Degree in Contemporary Art and Art in History at the University of Huddersfield.

I also became a representative of my university. and travelled to their sister university and studied for three months in Seoul.

After my studies here, through the help of Ken Ramsey, I started actively working in the world of art in all aspects, from creating to curating.

What inspires your art?

MOST of my ideas come from my own experiences and other socioecological events that I think need highlighting.

There are so many fantastic things in the world to be inspired by; everything has an interesting aspect, if you're interested in it!

I am also a big fan of artists such as Van Gogh, Katsushika Hokusai, Jake and Dino Chapman, Linda Montano, Tehching Hsieh, Rita Duffy, Laurence O’Toole, Diane Henshaw, Jeff Walls, James Jean and many more.

Who/what are your biggest influences?

ONE of my biggest influences is John Paul Sartre. I love French, German and Greek philosophy with their intriguing stories that describe and question the way we perceive the world we live in and why we live in it.

Is there a specific place that you do your work? Do you have a studio?

MY PARTNER and I are lucky enough to have bought our first home, so my practice is ran from my own shed, the dining table, or – to my partner's annoyance – the sitting room has been where I’ve done most of my work, so I guess for now this is my studio.

I also work in Ken Ramsey’s Picture Framing as a picture framer, in art restoration and exhibition installation.

Thankfully, Ken allows me to use the studio from time to time, when needed.

What has been your most ambitious piece, to date?

WHILST studying in university, I decided to challenge myself in the realm of installation as it had always piqued my interest.

I did large-scale, long-running installations across Huddersfield town and countryside, where I would install 28 hanging chairs of all different styles from trees, fire escapes, bridges and lampposts.

This took a lot of organisation and communication with different governing bodies, which was probably the hardest part.

The best reward from this installation was seeing people sharing images of them enjoying and sometimes sitting on my chairs doing what I wanted them to do, which was to take time to themselves and take in their surroundings.

What different artistic media do you use and which is your favourite?

I WORK with pencil, pen, watercolour, ink, wood, fabric, and sometimes furniture and other objects, but my favourite will always be to work with a pencil in hand and a good SLR camera.

What are you currently working on?

I AM working on furthering my story telling through my illustrative work, along with some watercolour pieces I’d left to the side for a while, as I favoured Indian ink for a long time.

Do you exhibit your work anywhere?

I AM currently in two amazing international group exhibitions organised by The Drawing Box International that is curated by the wonderful Diane Henshaw, alongside some great artists.

One large works show is in Mumbai, India at the moment, and the other small works exhibit is currently making its way from the Galway Arts Centre to Cyprus, to travel on from there, which is a wonderful way of reaching outside your own country's gaze.

Prior to this, I exhibited in group shows in the Higher Bridges Gallery in The Clinton Centre (which is sadly no longer with us).

I also had my first solo show there, entitled Snaring Bewildered Birds, which was a great experience.

Any artistic ventures planned for 2021?

I AM working on a few projects this year, but at the moment I’m most excited to be a member of the FLive Arts Festival, where I’ll be looking forward to curating some artistic and musical events later on this year. Watch this space!

What has been your favourite project, to date?

MY FAVOURITE project so far was definitely being given the grand opportunity to install Sir Anthony Gormley’s Beckett Tree, for the Beckett festival the previous four years.

This project meant a lot to me as, through a few conversations with the festival director and those living around my home house, it was decided that the sculpture would be based on the mountain I grew up on.

The location of the sculpture was on the Border of Ireland, which was very fitting for the actors performing the Beckett play, Waiting for Godot, around the sculpture.

It was also installed in the very scenic area of Malin Head, which was a pleasure to see also.

I’ve been a fan of Sir Anthony’s work since my days in college, and I never envisioned I would get the chance to touch one of his sculptures, let alone install one of my favourites.

What are you up to when you're not making art?

I ENJOY hiking the rural landscapes of the island of Ireland and finding remote camping spots with my partner.

When I’m at home, I enjoy reading, playing guitar, writing my own attempts of music, tinkering at home with DIY projects and fixing old furniture we find in our shed.

When we can again, and when it’s safe to do so, I also love travelling around Europe, spending quality time with my family and going to see as much art as I can in all its different forms.

How would you describe your art?

MY ART is sometimes graphic, abstract or surreal. At the moment, it's illustrative-based, where I like to tell the small but very significant stories of overlooked groups of society. I want to use art as an enlightening and healing force.

What does your art mean to you?

TO ME, it's more about the opportunity to describe my own thoughts and worries and put them alongside the aspirations that we all have for the future in a kind and visual manner.