Artist from N Ireland
Teresa Godfrey is a full-time artist based in Co Fermanagh, N Ireland.
She is an alumnus of the Art2Life Creative Visionary Programme 2024 and is currently a member of the Art2Life Academy. She is also a member of Visual Artists Ireland and The Irish Palette Artists Collective. Her work has been selected for several group exhibitions in Ireland and the UK and her first solo exhibition was hosted by Solas Art Gallery, Co Leitrim in April/May 2025.
Teresa left school at sixteen and began a career as a Draughtsman in various engineering and architectural offices before entering university as a mature student and gaining a BSc Hons in Geography and an MA in Documentary Film Production.
She continued developing her drawing and art skills by regularly attending Life Drawing classes and Fine Art courses at Belfast Metropolitan College, The Crescent Arts Centre Belfast, the South-West College, Enniskillen, and Strule Arts Centre Omagh.
Teresa’s art was featured in Collect Art magazine, Autumn issue, Vol 52 along with an interview about her practice (www.collectartwork.org)
Also, her artwork has been featured on the cover of “How Will They Name Us?” published by Revival Press, Limerick, 2024 and on “This, Also, Is Mercy” published by Summer Palace Press, 2021
Teresa is also a published poet, novelist, award-winning screenwriter, and filmmaker. Her written work has been broadcast on UK radio and her films have been produced on UK’s Channel 4 Television.
Artist’s Statement
As an Irish artist, my work is rooted in the ancient soil of my homeland – its myths, its relics, its voices echoing through time. The nine small paintings I wish to subit to Stories of Identity are visual translations of Ireland’s layered past: mythological tales, historical icons, and cultural totems reimagined through color, form, and rhythm.
Each of these pieces is inspired by a specific narrative or artifact from Irish heritage. From the mysterious presence of Sheela na Gig – an ancient fertility icon known throughout Ireland and Europe – to the dual-faced Janus figure watching both past and future, and the resonance of the Loughnashade Horn, I explore how identity is carried not only in our stories, but in the shapes we inherit and reinterpret. The abstract forms echo stone carvings, ceremonial instruments, and oral tradition – ancient expressions filtered through a contemporary lens.
This work is deeply personal. It is my way of connecting to lineage, of honouring what endures, and of asking how the past continues to shape us. In layering these histories into abstraction, I aim to create space for viewers – Irish and European – to find their own reflections in the myths we all share.
more. www.instagram.com/mteresagodfrey/ | www.brush.bio/teresa-godfrey
INTERVIEW with Teresa Godfrey
Carmela Loiacono talks with Teresa Godfrey who takes part in the International Art Exhibition STORIES OF IDENTITY – The 2nd Edition in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.
Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected works: “Balor”, “Banished”, “Cloch”, “Cuchulain”, “Janus”, “Loughnashade Horn”, “Messenger”, “Sheela na Gig” and “Sinner” presented during the exhibition STORIES OF IDENTITY – The 2nd Edition.
Teresa Godfrey – Teresa Godfrey. I’m an Irish artist working mainly in oils or acrylic to create abstract or semi-abstract paintings. My 9 works exhibited in Stories of Identity 2 are all based on characters or events from Irish history or mythology: Balor the one-eyed giant. Banished inspired by the legend of Saint Patrick banishing the snakes from Ireland. Cloch, a medieval Irish bell and symbol of spirituality. Cúchulainn, the tragic hero of the Irish epic tradition. Janus, based on the Co Fermanagh version of the famous Roman god. The Loughnashade Horn, an Irish Bronze Age ceremonial instrument with deep connections to nature and the spirit world. Messenger, inspired by the ancient Irish belief that birds are messengers from the otherworld. Sheela na Gig, the provocative and archaic representation of a female figure, often seen as a symbol of fertility, but also of protection and resistance to patriarchal power. And, finally, The Sinner, a symbol of shame and redemption and of social constructions of guilt.
Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
Teresa Godfrey – I work on my art every day. If I’m not actually painting I’m researching opportunities to show my work, or I’m learning about other artists and their work by going to exhibitions or researching them on the Internet. Although I’ve always drawn or painted and I’ve participated in several art courses, I started late as a full-time artist so I feel I have a lot to catch up with. My inspiration mainly comes from my concern about contemporary social and political issues such as climate change and care for the environment. I don’t start with a plan or with sketches but I do always have some idea of what I hope to convey in my work and let my subconscious take over, unless of course I’m doing figurative work, in which case a more disciplined approach is needed. The artists whom I admire and who inspire me are numerous. They include Anselm Kiefer, Susan Rothenberg, Sharon Paster, David Mankin, and the Irish artists JB Vallely, and also Sarah Longley and John Price for their drawings.
Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
Teresa Godfrey – Making art is an important form of communication. I want my art to be seen and the best and easiest way is via social media. I post a lot of art on Instagram and Threads and on Facebook. But visual art is more than the communication of an idea. It can and often is a powerful expression of beauty – the beauty of its physical self as an object, and the beauty within the human soul that perceives it. This is why art galleries and museums where art can be seen “live” are vitally important. Art is an experience, not just in its making but in its viewing. As an artist, I need a live audience to truly bring my art to life. Equally, as an audience member, I need the artist to grab my attention, to make me think, and to allow me to glimpse our common humanity. Only the live experience can fully do that.
Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
Teresa Godfrey – I have just finished two major series of medium to large-scale oil paintings, both inspired by my concerns about climate change. One series has the overall title “Wastelands” and the other is provisionally titled “Heatwave”. These have been quite intense projects so now I need to have some time out. I’m planning to return to my first love and draw simply for the joy of handling charcoal or pencil and bringing something figurative or realistic to life.
Carmela Loiacono – We had the pleasure to meet in person in Matera, during the opening of the exhibition, did you enjoy cooperating with me? Did you like to stay in Matera?
Teresa Godfrey – Attending the opening of Stories of Identity 2nd Edition in Matera has been one of the highlights of my artistic career. It was wonderful to see my 9 paintings taking their place as part of an international exhibition beautifully curated by the excellent Dr Carmela Loiacono and to have the privilege of speaking about my work to a very attentive and appreciative audience. I hadn’t been to Matera before and I was enthralled by the beauty and magic of this very ancient and special place – a perfect venue for the ancient stories of my identity symbolised in my art. I know that Matera will call me back again.
