"The Second Self": Darren Francis Caffrey

All of us at An Chéad Tine Art Organisation are delighted to celebrate resident Studio Artist Darren Francis Caffrey and his recent exhibition, The Second Self, now on view at the upstairs gallery space of Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny.

There is a monster under the bed and a ghost in the machine — and we are host to each.

Based in Kilkenny, Darren is an artist and writer whose work moves fluidly between live performance, moving and still image. Drawing on the archetype as a character model — as found in psychology, mythology, the tarot and the imaginative life — his practice might, at its simplest, be described as suggestion. Yet what unfolds is anything but simple.

For this exhibition, Darren turns to painting as a site of content in itself. Working with fast-drying, durable acrylic on canvas, he embraces what he describes as an inherently dark medium, searching for ways to image the worlds we inhabit. There is a monster under the bed and a ghost in the machine — and we are host to each. Accident and intent offer clues in the making of the work, but they are only half the story. The imaginative possibility that precedes the auto-generated, the so-called “slop”, is where this series truly resides.

More than 30 works now occupy the walls at the Watergate, drawn as if from a wider series of 78 cards. Paintings, props, and visual storytelling devices — each piece feels both singular and part of a larger system of symbols. On the evening of 22nd January, Darren opened The Second Self with a candle-lit talk, introducing the ideas that shaped the series and inviting audiences into its layered inner logic. The exhibition runs from the final week of January through into March, offering Kilkenny audiences an extended opportunity to engage with this ambitious body of work.

Darren’s achievements over the past year have been considerable. A member of Visual Artists Ireland — where he served as regional art critic until 2022 — he continues to contribute to the wider critical and creative discourse around contemporary art in Ireland. His debut novel was selected for the Dublin Art Book Fair 2025, and he also produced his first collection of poetry last year. It has been a remarkable period of growth and visibility.

We are especially proud to note that this marks just six months of Darren’s current tenure with our studios. His relationship with An Chéad Tine stretches back several years, including the gallery’s first solo exhibition in 2022. As a resident Studio Artist, Darren works within a supportive environment designed to foster ambitious, independent practice.

At An Chéad Tine, we are committed to providing affordable studio space, professional development opportunities and meaningful exhibition platforms for artists working in Kilkenny. We aim to create the conditions in which artists can take risks, develop sustained bodies of work and connect with local and national audiences.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Darren on The Second Self. We look forward to seeing where his restless imagination leads next — and to continuing to champion bold, challenging work within Kilkenny’s evolving cultural landscape.