Yelen is Montenotte Artist

This August, The Montenotte in Cork is welcoming contemporary painter Jo-Anne Yelen for a six-month exhibition within the hotel’s lobby.

The hotel’s long-standing Artist in Residence programme aims to showcase Iocal and Irish-based artists to guests. The programme, now in its sixth year, is in partnership with The Gallery Kinsale. 

Originally from a remote village in South Africa, Yelen and her family moved to Ireland in the late 1970s and settled on the Ring of Kerry. Having emigrated from her home, Jo-Anne and her family started a new life in Ireland, and it was when she was battling from the shock of moving that Yelen started to notice artworks in public places which, while expertly rendering the environment and climate, were doing little to remedy her mood. Inspired and invigorated by this, Jo-Anne started to paint, making a promise to herself that any painting she produced must, as part of its purpose, uplift the viewer and evoke a positive response.

Her talent was recognised and nurtured by her mother who was an art-enthusiast and talented painter. Becoming a budding artist at the age of 18 with a unique style, Jo-Anne nicknamed her artistic style as “Thru-ism” due to the fact that viewers can see both the outside of the scene, and through to the inside. Jo-Anne’s works are exhibited in a number of galleries and private collections across the world.