‘Ashes of Roses’, a pinkish grey colour that provided the name for a well-known 20th century perfume and range of cosmetics by Bourjois of Paris, has a special resonance for Gemma Browne, acting as a conduit for the memories that are such an important engine for her creative process. Browne remembers the name from Quentin Crisp’s memoir ‘The Naked Civil Servant‘ in which he recounts that in the 1960s while working in advertising he created a poster for Coty’s ‘Ashes of Roses’. Memory is of course nebulous, and as far as I can find Coty have never had a product with this name. To paraphrase playwright Tennessee Williams’ tragic heroine Blanche Dubois, magic is more important than realism….
…Flowers are often used as metaphors for young women in poetry and literature. The rapidly fading bloom of a rose and its comparison to the fleeting beauty of youth is contemplated and critiqued by Browne’s paintings. Her pools and patches of pink and brown paint fluidly combine, like makeup, to describe the skin of the women, who in ‘Blossoms’, ‘Amber’ and ‘True’ stare intensely in close-up. These and the other paintings of young women do not depict individuals, they are amalgams drawn from found images, their unsmiling looks atmospherically unsettling alongside the brightly coloured blooms. Browne describes them as portraits of female energy and their nearly-always-direct gaze is unerring.
– Excerpt from an Accompanying Text written by Cathy Lomax
To coincide with Ashes of Roses, the Gallery is hosting an evening with Gemma Browne and Cathy Lomax: In Conversation on Thursday 27th August at 6.30pm.
This event is supported by the Night-Time Economy After Hours at the Museum Scheme and Dublin by Dusk.
Gemma Browne is an Irish artist born in London and based in Dublin. Recent solo exhibitions include Wallflowers at Kevin Kavanagh (2023), Lady-Salad Days, Solo online show of paper works at Kevin Kavanagh, Dublin (2021), The Invisible Sorceress, The Lab Gallery, Dublin, Curated by Sheena Barrett (2020), Queen of the Dusk, Kevin Kavanagh, Dublin (2020).
Recent group exhibition include Blusher, curated by Cathy Lomax at Leicester Gallery, UK (2025), Art Rotterdam with Gemma Browne, Diana Copperwhite and Margaret Corcoran (2025), Mediums with Gemma Browne, Ricky Bearghostv and Mike Paré, Curated by Steve Brown, Helen’s Costume | Portland, OR (2024), The Pleasure Ground, Selected by Sinead Ni Mhaonaigh, Rathfarnham Castle OPW, Dublin (2022), Doorways and Windows, Curated by Rayne Booth for Wexford Arts Festival (2022), Dubliners, 6th Biennial of Painting, Zagreb, Curated by Pallas Projects (2021), Speaking of Which…, film with The Dock arts Centre, Leitrim and The Lab Gallery, Dublin (2020), Papercuts, Curated by Kristian Day, Saatchi Gallery, London (2018).
Gemma Browne | Ashes of Roses Opening Reception Thursday August 6th at 5.30pm The exhibition takes place from 6 August 6th – September 5th 2026 at Kevin Kavanagh, Dublin
