BASIC TALKS ~ Chloe McDonagh ~ April 2026, NCAD

1pm, 17/4/2026

National College of Art & Design, Dublin 8

Basic Space is delighted to present Chloe McDonagh, in conversation with Basic Space Co-Director Laura Harvey-Graham for our April BASIC TALK - 1pm on Friday the 17th of April 2026, NCAD. Book tickets here.

“I’m a multidisciplinary artist working across graphic design and fine art. Making has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, it’s something that has stayed with me from childhood into adulthood and continues to be the way I understand myself and the world around me.

My practice spans brand identity, book and web design, illustration, printmaking, and painting. I’m drawn to the space where technical design meets hands-on making, where structure and instinct can exist together. I love the discipline of design just as much as the physicality of working with materials, and my work sits somewhere between the two.

My work has been shown in spaces such as Axis Gallery and Theatre, The Hugh Lane Gallery, The Model Sligo, Misleór, the National Museum of Ireland, and the National Archives. While these opportunities have been hugely important to me, what drives the work itself is something much more personal, my heritage, my experiences, and a deep need to express what can’t always be put into words. I try to leave a piece of myself in everything I make.

Creativity, for me, is the purest form of expression. When language feels limiting, making becomes a way to communicate emotion, memory, and identity honestly and without filters.

Alongside my own practice, I also run workshops that encourage young people to explore creative expression, particularly those who may struggle to verbalise their thoughts or feelings. It’s important to me to create spaces where art becomes a language, a way to be heard without having to explain.

At the heart of my work is passion, care, and connection. I make because I need to, and because I believe creativity has the power to hold stories, create understanding, and bring people closer to themselves and each other.

You can find my work on Instagram at @chloemcd_esign.”

BASIC TALKS is a series of informal talks with leading contemporary practitioners. Curated by Basic Space in partnership with the Hugh Lane Gallery, BASIC TALKS is an open platform for lectures, workshops, presentations and performances. Speakers include artists, curators, writers and critics who generate discourse on producing, framing and exhibiting art.

Book your free tickets here

For the months of March, April and May 2026, Hugh Lane Gallery & Basic Space are delighted to have the Basic Talks programme hosted by the National College of Art & Design. Google map link HERE

This talk is presented as part of the HLG Explore & Learn offsite programmes during the Gallery’s period of temporary closure. 

Address: The National College of Art & Design (NCAD), 100 Thomas St, Usher’s Quay, Dublin 8, D08 K521.