Strule Arts Centre, Omagh is hosting an exhibition of new works, by Maurice Quillinan inspired by 'Leonardo’s Horse' and the bronze from the Hunt Collection, Limerick. The exhibition, entitled ‘Memory Remembers Just an Imprint’, which launches tonight, July 7, features twelve large charcoal drawings on paper by the Limerick artist.

The drawings, completed in the first half of 2021, demonstrate the artist’s fascination with the figure and the legend of Leonardo da Vinci’s equestrian sculpture in bronze. The monument commissioned by the ruler of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, was never fully realised.

All that remains today of what would have been the largest equine statue in the world, are a series of preparatory drawings and the legend of its liquefaction into artillery. Over the years the statue has gained mythic status, with many busts, maquettes and drawings being wrongly, or rather optimistically, attributed to the Master. In his charcoal drawings, Quillinan disseminates the figure of the rearing horse into sketching marks which echo the idea of the master roughing out his ideas as much as they hint at the uncertain history of the object itself.

Maurice, a part time tutor at NCAD Dublin, has worked for the acclaimed sculptor Henry Moore and the French sculptor Maxim Adam Tessier. He studied and worked in France, Canada and his work is held in collections worldwide.

The exhibition will be open from 7 to 30 July 2022 with a free Gallery Tour and Artist’s Talk at 1pm and an oil painting class for local artists (with some experience) from 2pm - 4.30pm on Saturday 30 July 2022 in Strule Arts Centre. To book for the talk or the workshop, contact Strule Arts Centre on 028 8224 7831 or visit www.struleartscentre.co.uk.