Hume portrait the centrepiece at Tullamore art gallery opening

A stunning portrait of one of the architects of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement and Nobel Prize winner, the late John Hume, formed the centrepiece at the official opening of the Vincent Devine Art Gallery in Tullamore last week.

The portrait, which took months to complete, is the latest painting by Clara-born Vincent Devine, who came to national and international prominence earlier this year when he painted a wonderful triptych painting of cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan which raised over €58,000 for frontline charity, Heroes Aid.

The purchaser of the Vicky Phelan painting, Kilkenny businessman, David Brennan, was just one of the many people who attended the official opening of the gallery on Tullamore’s Church Road on Thursday evening of last week.

The gallery, which has been open to clients by appointment since the end of May, was officially opened by well-known Kerry author, journalist and publican, Billy Keane, who is the son of the late John B. Keane.

Also in attendance was David Sheppard from Sheppards’ Irish Auction House in Laois, who acted as MC at the event, and who auctioned the Vicky Phelan painting earlier this year in a worldwide online charity auction.

Vincent Devine said he was “honoured” that Senator Emer Currie, the daughter of Austin Currie, one of the co-founders of the SDLP along with John Hume, travelled to Tullamore for the official opening of his gallery.

“She was very moved by the John Hume portrait, as were many people who attended the gallery opening,” he says adding that some of those who viewed the symbolic work “had tears in their eyes.”

Vincent Devine admits to being “a bit embarrassed” at the fact that he and many people of his generation (he is in his mid-30’s) do not realise the impact that the conflict in Northern Ireland has had on the island of Ireland.

“That was one of the main reasons I decided to research the life of John Hume and embark on the journey of re-creating his legacy on canvas,” he says. The journey into the John Hume story began for Vincent Devine on the day he passed away on August 3 last year, and has been “a work in progress ever since” he admits.

As part of that journey, the gifted Offaly artist held in-depth conversations with former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and former Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, to help inform the content of the painting, and he said he was “deeply moved” to learn the contribution that all the main players in the Peace Process have made to restoring the peace and stability that the current generation of Irish people now enjoy.

“Bertie Ahern had a more informal relationship with John Hume, and he spoke about how he used to suffer a lot from stress and this would reflect itself in him often complaining of having a pain in his gut, so I have reflected this in the portrait,” he says.

Poignantly, John Hume’s wife, Pat, passed away before Vincent Devine had finished the portrait of her late husband, and her legacy is honoured in the form of an outstretched hand and a shoe which symbolises her coming to take her late husband’s hand and walk with him to a place where they will be together again.

The portrait is painted “from the inside out” and is full of symbolism and meaning, so Vincent Devine says “everyone who views it sees something different” and it invites “as many questions as answers.”

The John Hume portrait is valued at €50,000 and Vincent says there is already “a lot of interest” in the work, which he hopes will be bought by some institution where it can go on display for future generations to appreciate.

Also on display at the official opening was a portrait of artist Jack B. Yeats, which is valued at €80,000, and which Vincent Devine says represents “the past, present and future” of Ireland.

Meanwhile, the triptych painting of Vicky Phelan is set to go on a nationwide tour in January of next year, and will be on display at the Vincent Devine Art Gallery and Studio “at some point along the journey” he says.

“To see people being moved to tears when looking at one of my paintings is just so unbelievable for me” admits Vincent Devine, who says the opening of his own art gallery and studio in Tullamore is “a dream come true.”

He says there are “no words” to express his gratitude to the many people who have supported him thus far on his artistic journey, and to those who believed in his work from the very first day he picked up a paintbrush.

“I am so grateful to be able to do what I love and to see the appreciation in the eyes of those who view my work, it’s unbelievable really,” he admits.