“Portals” – is an exhibition of paintings by Neal Burns being exhibited in the Atrium in Áras an
Chontae, Mullingar, from 7 May 2026.

Exhibition Date: 7 to 22 May 2026.
Location: The Atrium Space, Westmeath County Council, Áras an Chontae, Mullingar. N91 FH4N
Opening Reception: 7 May 2026, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in The Atrium Space, Westmeath County Council, Áras an
Chontae, Mullingar.

A new exhibition of paintings by Mullingar-based artist Neal Burns, Portals, opens at The Atrium
on 7 May. This body of work presents a series of oil on canvas paintings that invite viewers into
richly imagined worlds where mythology, literature, and speculative futures converge.
Drawing on a wide range of references, Burns’ paintings bear titles such as Zarathustra, The
River Styx, and Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree - the latter referencing George Orwell’s
1984. These works function as symbolic thresholds, or “portals,” into layered narratives that
explore the fragility of contemporary existence.

At once atmospheric and introspective, the exhibition reflects on urgent themes including the
climate crisis, apocalyptic imaginaries, and the enduring influence of science fiction. Burns’
work navigates the tension between beauty and unease, presenting landscapes that feel both
otherworldly and eerily familiar.

Through luminous colour, textured surfaces, and dreamlike compositions, Portals offers a
meditation on transformation, uncertainty, and the shifting boundaries between past, present,
and possible futures.

The exhibition opens on 7 May at 5:30 p.m. at The Atrium, Áras an Chontae, Mullingar. All are
welcome.

Content Last Updated/Reviewed: 01/05/2026