New art exhibition based on Joyce’s Ulysses to open in February

Painting Ulysses, an exhibition by Aidan Hickey based on the 18 episodes of James Joyce’s novel, will be opened on February 2, by renowned author Roddy Doyle.  

The works, painted by Hickey to mark the 100th Anniversary of Ulysses’ publication, will hang in the James Joyce Centre, North Great Georges Street, between February and June.

Hickey says he designed each painting in a different visual style to honour the different literary styles of each episode in the book.

The James Joyce Centre, founded in 1996, has become a shrine to the novelist, offering visitors an opportunity to contemplate his life and work.

Joyce never resided at No 35. But Denis J McGinn, who appears in Ulysses as Prof. Maginni, ran a dance academy at that address.

Hickey studied painting at the National College of Art but spent his career drawing and writing animated films for children’s TV.

After retirement, he developed a narrative style of painting and about six years ago he decided that Joyce’s Ulysses offered him the perfect subject.

“Pictures can convey a lot of the spirit of a written episode, but not much of its true significance,” he said.

“That said, even if my paintings only hint at the novel’s wealth of comedy and complexity, they might attract a new audience to Joyce.”

Originally run by descendants of the Joyce family, the centre is now an independent entity supported by the Department of Arts and Culture.

This exhibition, celebrating Ulysses’ 100th Anniversary – and Joyce’s 140th Birthday – is the latest in a long series of events – literary, musical and visual, -presented to the public by the centre. It will remain in place to mark Bloom’s Day in June 2022.