Emily Waszak has been invited by Southwark Park Galleries (SPG), London, to present her first international solo exhibition in Spring 2026.
The invitation comes following the group exhibition Faigh Amach at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios (TBG+S), 01 August – 21 September 2025.
Faigh Amach was an initiative by TBG+S, in partnership with Culture Ireland and SPG, to support an artist in presenting their first solo exhibition outside Ireland and brought together the practices of three artists selected through an open call process in 2024: Ella Bertilsson, Kathy Tynan, Emily Waszak. The three artists were selected from over 350 applications, selected by SPG, TBG+S and artist Niamh O'Malley.
During the planning and duration of Faigh Amach, SPG Director Judith Carlton and Deputy Director Charlotte Baker conducted in-person and online studio visits with the three artists, as well as visiting the exhibition at TBG+S before making the invitation.
In September 2025, the decision was made to invite Emily Waszak to exhibit at SPG’s Lake Gallery in April 2026. The opportunity, jointly funded by TBG+S and by Culture Ireland, includes artist fees, travel/accommodation and production expenses. The artist will also benefit from professional development opportunities provided by SPG.
Emily Waszak’s work is informed by rituals of her Japanese cultural heritage, experiences of grief and the landscape of her home in Donegal. For Faigh Amach, she produced delicate ceramics within an installation of several large-scale weavings using combinations of discarded waste textiles gathered from industrial sites in Dublin, and fabric collected by the artist that hold deep personal significance.
On receiving the news, artist Emily Waszak has said, “I am absolutely delighted to have been offered this opportunity, and look forward to working with Judith and Charlotte who have been incredibly supportive and thoughtful about my work. As an older artist who is only in the early stages of my career, there is a keen sense of urgency in my work. This opportunity will push my practice forward at this critical juncture by focusing that energy and allowing me to be more ambitious in scope and scale. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has been involved in this process.”
TBG+S, SPG and Culture Ireland would like to congratulate Emily Waszak in her achievement and look forward to supporting her in this opportunity. The three organisations would also like to acknowledge the exceptional work of Ella Bertilsson and Kathy Tynan who exhibited alongside Emily Waszak at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios.
“We are very excited to work with Emily. The exhibition will launch our spring programme in the park, which is fitting when considering the natural narratives and materials that are interwoven throughout her striking work. We selected Emily’s work in virtue of its conversations surrounding nature, identity, grief, landscape, materiality and community. We very much look forward to working with Emily and opening her beautiful practice up to many new audiences.
It has been extremely difficult to invite just one artist, as we adore the work of all three. Thanks to the support of Culture Ireland & TBG+S, we have been afforded the valuable opportunity to explore each artist’s work, journey and inspirations.“
—Judith Carlton, Director of Southwark Park Galleries, September 2025.
Temple Bar Gallery + Studios is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland.
Temple Bar Gallery + Studios (TBG+S), in partnership with Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS), invites applications from Irish artists and artists based in Ireland for a new residency exchange between Ireland and Japan in 2026.
Temple Bar Gallery + Studios invites applications from artists for Six Year Membership Studios, Three Year Membership Studios and Project Studios (one year).
The award was established in memory of Paul Robinson to support an emerging artist of talent and promise in developing their practice.
