UILLINN arts centre in Skibbereen is hosting an exhibition bringing together the work of artists Jane Hughes and Selma Mäkelä for the first time.

Curated by Paula Barrett, the display opens on March 28th and runs until May 16th.

The exhibition takes the name of the Finnish proverb ‘Eteenpäin, sanoi mummo lumessa’, translated as ‘Forward, said granny in the snow’, which evokes resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

This spirit of perseverance forms the conceptual thread of the exhibition, shaping a dialogue between two artists whose practices explore landscape, memory, and the vast temporal scales that underpin our world.

Through pigment, gesture, and layered surfaces, these paintings offer tactile connections to that immense continuum.

Their non-linear, dreamlike approach reflects the difficulty of comprehending such vastness, oscillating between figuration and abstraction as they move through memories, archival fragments, and imagined terrains.

Both Hughes and Mäkelä create composite landscapes, geological fantasies shaped by lived experiences of migration, remoteness, and cultural multiplicity.

Their practices have been deeply influenced by time spent in peripheral environments, from Inis Oírr and Achill Island to the Arctic and Fogo Island.

Selma Mäkelä, of Finnish and Cypriot heritage, grew up in London and now lives in the west of Ireland. Jane Hughes, born in Ireland, emigrated nearly two decades ago, first to Germany and now lives in Finland.

To complement the exhibition, the artists and curator will lead a series of events on Sherkin Island, focusing on the exhibition’s themes with particular attention to deep time.

Deep Time is on Sunday March 29th followed by a walking tour (2.30pm from Sherkin Abbey) with an illustrated talk and slide presentation in Sherkin Community Hall, followed by a short outdoor session examining local rock formations.

An astronomy talk at the community hall starts at 4.30pm.