Taking their work from the public world of murals to the intimate reality of studios, ten members of the female, queer and non-binary street art group Minaw Collective’s artists are presenting their work at the Flux Studio this autumn. The artists presenting their work are: Anna Doran, Claire Prouvost, Em Blake ESTR, Friz, Holly Pereira, KinMx, Klo Wi, Loki PookaDubh, MyfanwyNia, Novice Jess, Signs of Power, Zippy, and Zurdie. Holly Pereira spoke to us about the collective.
Why did you specifically choose to work with Flux Gallery for this exhibition?
We chose Flux Gallery because it’s an artist-run, grassroots space that supports independent creative projects, and that spirit really aligns with what Minaw is about. It’s also a very central location, right in the heart of the city, which makes it easy for people to drop in and experience the work.
Why did Street to Studio come about now? Has this been in the works for a while?
It’s been two years since our ten-year anniversary show. We learned a lot from that experience and this felt like the right moment to come together again. We always love any excuse to gather as a collective, there are so many of us now and an exhibition is the perfect way to bring everyone into one space. It allows us to see all the parts of the whole, the overlaps and shared influences, as well as the differences that make each artist’s voice unique. We celebrate that diversity. Street to Studio became a way to bring those worlds – public and private, shared and individual, into dialogue and to reflect on how our practices have evolved since we first began painting together more than a decade ago.
How did the experience of creating the work in private rather than in public affect the exhibition?
Painting murals is quite a performative way of making artwork – it’s generally in the public space, often with passersby as an audience. Working in the studio is a more contemplative and intimate way of working, and brings a completely different rhythm. When you’re painting a mural, there’s an immediate connection to place and community, you’re responding to the environment, the scale and even the conversations that happen while you work. In the studio, everything slows down. There’s room to experiment, to sit with ideas and to make quieter, more introspective decisions.
That shift in pace has definitely shaped the exhibition. You can still see traces of the street in the work, the colours, the graphic language, the movement but there’s also a sense of stillness and reflection that comes from creating in private.
Going forward, does the Minaw Collective want to do more exhibitions like this one?
Painting murals will always be at the heart of Minaw, but our studio work allows for another layer of dialogue, it’s where ideas simmer, evolve and take on new directions. It feels like a natural next chapter for us.
In the last 12 years since the Minaw Collective’s formation, how has the collective grown and changed?
Minaw Collective started in 2013 after an exhibition at the White Lady Gallery of “female street artists”. At the time, there were not many women painting street art in Ireland. Minaw was formed as a place of solidarity and support in this landscape.
In the past twelve years, Ireland has seen so much change – a housing crisis and pandemic – and progress – gay marriage was legalised, abortion too. Minaw Collective weathered these years, and grew its numbers to fourteen. The biggest change is that we have changed from “all-female street art collective” to “female, non-binary and queer collective” to more accurately reflect all our wonderful and valued artist members.
Our practices have diversified too. Many of us have expanded beyond murals to explore illustration, design, fine art, sculpture, craftwork, mosaic, stained glass and mixed media. What’s stayed constant is the camaraderie. Even when we’re working separately, that sense of belonging to something bigger remains, a creative and supportive network that continues to grow stronger every year.
Does the Minaw Collective have any upcoming exhibitions beyond the Flux?
For now, Street to Studio is our main focus, but we’d love to build on the energy of this exhibition and make group shows a more regular part of what we do. We’re definitely open to future exhibitions and collaborations that continue to bring our shared creativity into new spaces. We recently held a public street art jam in the Digital Hub as part of Fringe Festival, hopefully the first of many more. It’s always brilliant to paint together outside, as meeting up in person strengthens the friendships within the group. We don’t all live in Dublin, so those times are really special. Many of us are also working individually on murals, commissions and personal projects across Ireland and abroad, so there’s always something happening within the wider Minaw network.
From Street to Studio runs at Flux Studios from November 27th to the 30th.
