Tony & Jane O'Malley:
The Shared Studio

Butler Gallery, in association with Kilkenny Arts Festival, is delighted to present a building- wide exhibition honouring the work of the late Tony O’Malley (1913-2003) and Jane O’Malley (1944-2023). This expansive exhibition marks the receipt of the bequest of both artists’ estates by Jane O’Malley to Butler Gallery where the artists had a long association.

The Shared Studio is an exhibition that provides an insight into the lives of Tony and Jane, and the studio life they shared in different locations for many decades: St Ives in Cornwall where they first met, to travels to the Bahamas and Lanzarote, and primarily their beloved home studio in County Kilkenny which functioned as a space of mutual encouragement, emotional support, and creative exchange.

The exhibition highlights work of different mediums and thematic approaches made over the decades. Studio emphemera will be reconstructed for display: worktables of both artists untouched since their deaths, a loom with a half-finished tapestry by Jane, and other items. An interactive virtual tour of their studio will be launched, showing all corners of the spaces where their mutual work was realised. 

Tony O’Malley holds an important and distinguished position in the history of twentieth century Irish art. A highly respected and beloved artist, his works are held in all major Irish museums and included in the most significant public and private collections of Irish art. Jane O’Malley showed widely in the UK and Ireland with many solo exhibitions at Taylor Galleries Dublin, the gallery that represented both artists during their lifetime. Her works are held in private collections in Ireland, America and Europe and feature in many public collections.

This exhibition traces Tony and Jane’s journey across time and place and offers a rich overview of both their individual artistic practice and their creative partnership revealing the profound influence their loving companionship had on their working lives together.

Additional support provided by Brian Baum in loving memory of Úna Wilson.

Learning & Public Engagement Events

A panel discussion on Tony & Jane O’Malley: The Shared Studio will be held in the Parade Tower of Kilkenny Castle on Tuesday August 11, 2026. See Kilkenny Arts webpage for booking.