Two Mayo children place in top three out of over 17,000 entries for RTÉ competition

Out of over 17,000 entries, two Mayo children have placed second and third in their age categories in RTÉ's This Is Art competition.

Seven-year-old Eamonn Gaughan from Foxford was awarded second place in the 0-7 category with his abstract painting ‘Titanic Chaos’.

Artist and judge Leah Hewson said of Eamonn's artwork: “Your amazing painting ‘Titanic Chaos’ blew us all away! I love the technique you used to create an interesting composition with lots of emotion. Keep exploring your art, you have a gift!” 

Thirteen-year-old Rowan placed third in the 12-15 category with a costume design inspired by Galway's Macnas Theatre: ‘The Black Wolf’.

Rowan explained, “I designed and created this costume entirely from my imagination for Halloween. It was inspired by the magical storytelling and bold costumes of Galway's Macnas Theatre. I have attended many of their epic parades and am always impressed by their creative costume designs. I love seeing the stilt walkers and wanted to incorporate this element into my own costume.” 

“Using fur, fabric, crutches, and even an old pair of high heels transformed into wolf paws, I aimed to create a character that feels both powerful and imaginative by blending human and wolf elements into a unique design,” Rowan continued.

“Fashion, especially costume design, allows me to explore my creativity in new ways, and this costume is a reflection of my imagination. I hope it sparks curiosity and inspires others to think outside the box.” 

Artist and judge Masar praised Rowan’s creativity: “Hey Rowan, I loved your piece! Unique, creative and thinking outside of the box!” 

Several other entries from Mayo children were also highly commended by the judges.

The winning entries can be viewed online at https://thisisart.rte.ie/winners-2024.