Gathered in Passing

Explore Gathered in Passing, a textured figurative painting by Irish artist Anthony Carey examining separation, belonging and psychological distance.
  • Close-up of the solitary figure emerging from the textured red surface of Gathered in Passing

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  • Close-up of the three grouped figures within the layered red surface of Gathered in Passing

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About the work

Gathered in Passing began with the space between the clustered figures and the solitary figure standing apart. They occupy the same landscape, yet the distance between them feels both physical and psychological. It is unclear whether the lone figure is leaving, returning or remaining close while carrying an inner separation that cannot be seen.


While making the painting, I was thinking about how people can remain present within us even when they are no longer fully part of our daily lives. Some relationships are changed by distance, separation or loss, but they do not simply disappear. They continue through memory, shaping our sense of belonging and the way we understand ourselves.


The figures are deliberately unresolved. Those gathered together appear to merge with one another, while the solitary figure seems more clearly defined yet remains partially absorbed into the surrounding surface. I recognise something of myself in that position between connection and separation, although I do not want to determine which figure—or experience—the viewer should identify with.


The layered red ground holds traces of forms that have been covered, disturbed and revealed again. Nothing within it appears entirely fixed. Gathered in Passing considers the people whose presence we continue to carry: those encountered briefly, those changed by distance and those who remain part of us after they have gone.


Artwork details
2026
Acrylic and plaster on canvas
30 × 40 cm


Availability on request →