“CON_FUSION”, an exhibition by Claus-Eckhard Kraemer and Pat O’Connor

Pat O’Connor grew up in rural Ireland and in the 1950s and 1960’s art was not a current reality. Classical church art was in the periphery, the wonderful Harry Clark window in the church he attended as a child was not seen or spoken of any different to other windows. He did not recognise the difference or quality and such discernment was not recognised or encouraged. Teaching or encouragement of art was non-existent throughout primary, secondary and third level in his original educational cycle. Luckily his second level education was in a technical school where he studied technical and mechanical drawing so he had some idea about perspective and scale. He was not aware of anyone practicing visual arts in his community growing up. He had no awareness of being creative or of a need to be.

In his mid-twenties Pat studied industrial design. He very much enjoyed the first experimental and free flowing year but was not interested in the work of designing products. Pat went on to study fine arts on Sherkin Island for two years in his late forties but did not give proper time and attention to developing his own style and direction until he retired. He had sculpted with wood periodically throughout the years but turned to working with stone much later in life.

Pat had been a fisherman for much of his early life and so many of his paintings are seascapes, with even the more abstract ones carrying a strong association with the sea. On the other hand, his stone sculptures are mostly figurative, representing facial features and moods, which may reflect the fact that he spent much of his later life working as a psychotherapist.

He has had solo and group exhibitions at KAVA in Kinvara, County Galway, St. John’s Theatre in Listowel, County Kerry, in Buoys and Gulls in Bundoran and in Mountshannon. He took part in group exhibitions in the Community Centre on Sherkin Island and at the Courthouse in Oughterard.

Claus Eckhard Kraemer is a digital artist who trained as a journalist and photographer. He studied at Trier University, Germany and was editor of multiple news outlets. Claus pursued a career in international PR, working as an FIA Media Delegate in Formula One. He took up painting around 2000 and later moved on to his unique style of art, with the first exhibitions of his new art form in 2025.

Claus has had solo shows in Germany, Albania and Ireland. Several of his works are part of private and corporate collections across the US, Germany, Ireland, the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain and Italy. He is a member of Visual Artists Ireland and Kinvara Visual Artists. Claus serves on the Mountshannon Arts Committee and lives with wife Claudia near Scarriff, County Clare.

Page last reviewed: 02/01/25

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