A young girl sits on a patterened sofa, surrounded by soft toys with more toys and books on the shelf behind her. She has a book open in front of her and looks directly at the viewer, smiling slightly.
Harriet Casey, Are You Sitting Comfortably? A Portrait of the Artist as a little Girl, 2024. © Harriet Casey. Photo, National Gallery of Ireland.

Harriet Casey

Are You Sitting Comfortably? A Portrait of the Artist as a little Girl, 2024

Oil on canvas

"I came across a box of my old toys and books, and as I sifted through these beloved artefacts, every item I touched held a memory. Something as simple as a yoyo or a badge can spark a conversation and a story can be told. The little girl in the painting wants to tell you a story but she also wants you to tell your stories and share your memories. 'Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin…' " - Harriet Casey

Self-taught artist Harriet Casey is originally from Dublin but has worked as a graphic designer in Co. Meath for many years. She rediscovered her love of art through her children and first picked up a brush in 2018. Casey’s very first oil painting was selected for the ‘Surveyor Exhibition’ at the Solstice Art Centre in Navan, and her work has since featured in that exhibition multiple times. A full-time carer, Casey paints in any spare time she has and is working hard to make this her full-time profession.

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