Young artists picked for leading exhibition

Samuel Hilliard, a talented artist from Tallaght, and Clement Yang, a 20-year-old artist from Taiwan living in Ballsbridge, are two out of 10 artists selected as part of the Connecting artists 2023 programme, which culminated in an exhibition of their art at the renowned Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) in Dublin, which took place July 16-18. Connecting artists is a miriam, who is also living in Dublin (Terenure) created this online programme for visual artists nationwide with intellectual disabilities who wish to develop their creative practice.

10-week online programme designed by miriam Spollen, the founder of Connections arts Centre, a social enterprise dedicated to connecting the disability community through the arts.

Despite living with autism, Tallaght man Samuel is an incredibly independent individual who works as an assistant pizza chef in an Italian kitchen, showcasing his creativity through culinary arts. alongside his passion for cooking and baking, Samuel excels at sketching and painting freehand, encompassing various subjects such as still life, portraits and landscapes.