Lumen
Gildas O Laoire & Mark Redden
6 November 2025 – 2 January 2026
The story
As part of Dublin Gallery Weekend, 6-9 November 2025, TØN is delighted to present an exhibition where contemporary art meets contemporary craft.
LUMEN is an exhibition of works by Gildas O Laoire and Mark Redden. Combining painting, sculpture, design, and furniture, they express the solace of living with art and the luminous effect art has on life. The viewer is prompted to examine the objects closely, drawn into a fourth dimension through the layers of paint or the myriad of details of wood grain. Light and movement are integral to the work of both artists, and a sense of harmony and balance has been coaxed from the materials they set out to master. The gallery space becomes a living room that offers a meditative resting place and a calm space for reflection. We are invited to consider the nature of furniture and paintings and the capacity certain objects have to make daily life a little more sacred.
Glidas and Mark met in 1998 as students at DLIADT. Their creative journeys have crossed paths over the years. In 2014 the pair built two currachs at East Wall Water Sports, Dublin, which were launched by President Michael D. Higgins.
Artist
Mark Redden
Born in Dublin in 1979, Mark Redden is an Irish visual artist based in Barcelona. He works in painting, sculpture, and drawing, primarily using oil paint, wood, paper, and ink. These traditional media serve to create abstract work that explores universal perception and personal experience. His practice aims to conjure free associations, inviting the viewer to produce their own interpretations. With particular attention to surface quality, colour, and balance, he renders symbolic, ambiguous forms that blend and mutate, opening pathways to abstract memories and feelings.
Redden studied fine art at DLIADT, Dublin, and at CCAD, Cork, where he graduated with an award-winning student exhibition. His work has been described as all-encompassing in its vision. He has exhibited and undertaken residencies worldwide, including the Museu Marítim de Barcelona, the RHA Annual in Dublin, Kunstpunkt in Hamburg, Oasis in Tokyo, CEAD in Beijing, and Readymade in Massachusetts, USA.
Gildas O Laoire
The circulation, tracing, and accumulation of representations structure my practice. Through copying, I investigate the construction of exoticism and popular imaginaries—such as medieval bestiaries, cartoons, and Mediterranean mythology—to generate alternative narratives to the representation of historical tales. I also deconstruct the memories of these imaginaries that inhabit me, guided by my emotions and thoughts.
Work
Recent shows
Tøn exists for art that stays open — work that questions more than it concludes. We look for contemporary artists who are honest about the search, not just the result. We're always open to those we haven't met yet.
