Qigong is made up of two words Qi (氣) which means energy, and Gong ( 功) which means work. So qigong is the art of working with our energy. It can sound mysterious but is actually very practical. By working with our mind, body, and breath together we become more aware of the subtleties of how we function and the living energy that flows through us. With practice we can use this skill to bring greater health, vitality, and even creativity. Come and experience this ancient Chinese cultural practice in an interactive session with John Munro.  

Qigong is suitable for anyone. If you prefer to stand or sit during practice,  we can arrange seating. 

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John has more than 25 years of qigong experience and has served as vice-president of the New Zealand Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, and is a current member of the National Qigong Association (USA), and World Academic Society of Medical Qigong (China).

Through his school Long White Cloud Qigong John has trained over 400 qigong instructors around the world.

Interactive Installation of ” The Guardian of Earthly Worries” by mary P O Connor : A site-specific Mixed Media piece exploring the themes of climate degeneration, species extinction, transphobia, and the blurred lines of communication of the information age.

Visitors are encouraged to be part of the event.

Mary P O Connor studied at the Crawford College of Art Cork and the Royal College of Art London. She has exhibited widely in Europe and the USA and her work is held in many private and public collections

Marys work has always been concerned with social and political themes and pushing her audience to react. Since 2007 her work has gradually become more reflective, concerned more with inner emotions, change making and sense of place within the broader human family.

KT Murray is a multidisciplinary artist and a graduate of CCAD BFA and LLSAD MA. SPACE.

The work today is mainly situation-specific. It is informed by aspects of psychogeography manifesting as performative journeys to outposts /borders.

Themes that circulate are influences of culture on perception, liminality and how borderlands and ‘places on the edge’ can be a crossroads for creative unity and connection.

Don Antoine Samec, aka Poetonic, a mixed media artist working with collage to explore resilience, identity, and rebirth. Born in California, raised in France, and now based in Cork, I approach collage like Kintsugi-breaking and reassembling images to create something new.

With a master’s in cinematography specializing in film editing, I’ve taken my love for assembling pictures in a different direction, orienting myself towards analog collage techniques.

Fion Gunn graduated from Crawford College of Art & Design, in Ireland and spent a post-graduate year at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Supérieure de Nancy, France, where she lived for four years, she now lives and works in London. She was the first Artist in Residence at the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool (2022-23) where she was an associate at Tate Exchange. Gunn is the first Irish artist to have a public sculpture commission in China for the city of Zhangjiakou, in 2012. Her 2022 solo show at Victoria Gallery & Museum was awarded funding by Arts Council England, as was Boundless: Transitions Exhibition at A.P.T. Gallery, London in 2023 for which she was lead artist. She is represented in the UK by RiseArt Gallery in the UK.

Gunn has exhibited at numerous galleries in Europe and China – many of her projects pre COVID were based in Beijing and Shanghai where she has also curated major collaborative exhibitions of Irish & Chinese contemporary art in an annual project called IRISH WAVE (2009-2016).

Gunn is exhibiting this October in a two person show Mythical Journey with Shoran Jiang at UArt Gallery, Shanghai, opening on 15 October through to 13 November and is lead artist for Intimate Transgressions international touring exhibition opening in Shanghai on 1 November at InJoy Art Space through to 28 November.

Virginia Giglio PhD has lived in Cork since 2018. In 2020 She completed chaplain training at St. Luke’s Home in Mahon. A published author, she is a an internationally recognized authority in Native American ethnomusicology. A former college professor in the US, she has operated businesses as a web designer, seamstress, and commercial flower grower.

As Chair of the Cork Light Orchestra, she organizes performances and publicity. Since 2018 she has played piccolo, flute, and sung solos with the orchestra, which performs two to three times per month. She also plays Irish flute and Native American flute.

.My visual art is usually in the form of paintings of poetic reflections ranging from delicate to humorous and based on the modern aesthetic. I have been interested in music since early childhood and I began making songs and pictures in my early teens. My understanding of art increased through my studies and I began to use the methods discovered by artists in the 20th century allowing me to delve deep into my subconscious and imagination thus creating new ideas and exciting explorations.

My digital art is part of my exploration as a painter to advance my personal language because of its urgency

Jason is an artist and musician and his work often explores a visual representation of music

Jessica Ion is a multidisciplinary artist who works with a variety of materials to explore the depths of emotion and human experience. Her practice centers on visualizing feelings that are often difficult to put into words, transforming the unseen inner storm into soft, evocative works of art. With a focus on femininity and the complexities of womanhood,

Jessica creates pieces that balance beauty and vulnerability, inviting viewers to connect with the quiet strength and unspoken truths within.

 An exponent of the role of the artist in society, John Adams sees himself as an activist artist, his works often are part of some campaign John is associated with, he seeks the truth in the events that have shaped the 20th and early 21st Centuries.

John’s early work was heavily influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite painters and by fellow Irish born artist Francis Bacon. Over the last ten years John was compelled towards realism in a quest to improve skills and to record the destruction of old heritage buildings. Portraiture is a compelling way to express the human spirit and John’s portraits seem to have a vitality and passion rarely seen “Luke Kelly” 2014. More recently, John has returned to more expressive paintings inspired by his imagination and sub conscious mind. However, his talent lies in his heart and soul. Painting freely and exploring visions in his imagination is what he does best.

Recently working on a series titled “Animals Matter”, highlighting extinction and how animals are struggling to survive because of humans. I have been painting reptiles because they have been surviving so many millions of years. They look ancient and they are asking the question, what are you doing? Why are you destroying the World? I am also painting animals in the Oceans which are struggling to survive because of human activities.

Maja Ban was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and moved to Ireland in 2018. She has attended multiple art classes with renowned Slovenian painters and took several ceramic courses at Crawford College of Art and Design.

Exploring different art forms all her life while obtaining a degree in psychology added another layer of depth to her exploration of identity and the human experience.

Since young age, she has developed a unique surrealistic style of drawing, that recently expanded to acrylic on canvas. In ceramics, her approach might involve organic, abstract shapes or figurative forms, sometimes drawing inspiration from the human body, nature, or elements of folklore.

She often investigates the relationship between the physical and symbolic. Ceramic sculptures can embody both fragility and strength, which aligns with her interest in the complexity of human vulnerability and resilience as well as the connection with nature. No matter what art form she uses, she strives to evoke a sensory and emotional response from the viewer.

Photographer, Local historian and Shandon Street trader, Martin is a second generation cobbler who grew up on Shandon street and has operated his shoe repair shop on the street for many years and documented the lives and stories of the local population building up a historical record of Shandon through the years. He is a multi award winning photographer.

Myo launched a call for artist submissions, for an exciting creative project on the banks of the River Lee.

A selection of the work will be on view @ Shandon Studios

Myo Café, which was founded as a passion project by community activist Liam Mullaney, launched a competition to champion local and emerging artists, promote the vibrancy of the city and foster social connections.

Mullaney has highlighted the importance of Myo as a place for people from all walks of life to connect and create a sense of home: “It’s brilliant to see people’s continued interest in bolstering Myo’s mission, building positivity and community spirit in Cork. That interest is what led us to launch this new project, the inaugural River Lee Art Competition — a unique celebration of place, creativity, and community.

We’re particularly grateful to have the support of Cork companies MC2 Accountants and Parfrey Murphy Chartered Accountants.”

“The surrounding landscape here has so much history, and really dynamic parts of the city. There’s a lot to be inspired by, from winding streets steeped in stories, to riverside walks, leafy corners and architectural gems,” Mullaney noted. “We’re inviting artists to see the city in a new light and share their vision with the local community,” said Mullaney. “This isn’t just about geography — it’s about memory, imagination, and personal connection to place and people.”

Detlef Schlich is a visual artist, musician, and media archaeologist based in West Cork, Ireland. His multidisciplinary practice spans performance, photography, painting, digital collage, sound, and installation. Through his persona as a “ritual architect,” Schlich explores the shifting boundaries between humanity and technology, always underlined by a poetic-political sensibility.

Recent works such as Stripes of Unity (2025) reflect his interest in layering analogue and digital echoes to address collective memory and dignity in the 21st century.

Alongside his visual practice, Schlich co-founded WAW, a musical project that embodies his concept of Multilayerism—weaving together sound, narrative, and environment into complex, resonant compositions.

He also engages an international audience through Arteetude, his weekly podcast on art, culture, and technology, and as founder of the I Love West Cork Artists network.