Mainie Jellett & Evie Hone – The Art of Friendship, Exhibition Identity

We delivered a complete exhibition identity for Mainie Jellett & Evie Hone – The Art of Friendship, which opened at the National Gallery of Ireland in February 2025.

The exhibition explored the work of two of Ireland’s most influential modern artists, Evie Hone (1894–1955) and Mainie Jellett (1897–1944), examining their role in shaping Irish modernism, their engagement with abstraction, cubism and stained glass, and the creative relationship that connected them.

It followed their shared formative years in Paris and the distinct directions their practices took after returning to Ireland. While both introduced international modernist ideas to Irish audiences, Jellett pursued abstraction through painting, while Hone found her most powerful expression in stained glass. The exhibition considered how each artist balanced innovation with tradition, particularly in their approach to landscape and religious themes, and reflected on the resilience required to sustain avant-garde practices within a conservative cultural context.

Responding to this narrative, our creative approach positioned Jellett and Hone as independent pioneers rather than defining them solely through their friendship. The identity elevated their names as equal protagonists, acknowledging their leadership within Irish modernism. Typography and graphic treatments drew on the avant-garde spirit of the period. Across signage, print and marketing, the visual system balanced two distinct creative forces, honouring both their shared origins and individual paths.