Two graduates of Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD), TUS, have been selected for the RDS Visual Art Awards 2026. Aoife Dunne and Kodjo (Isac) Kossivi are among 12 emerging artists chosen to showcase their work, highlighting the breadth of contemporary art practice emerging from Ireland.

The selected artists will exhibit at the Gallery at RDS in Dublin from 6 November 2026 to 23 January 2027.

Aoife Dunne: Exploring the Body, Movement and Public Space

Originally from Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Aoife is a multidisciplinary artist and a graduate of Sculpture & Combined Media at LSAD. Her practice spans sculpture, installation, publication, drawing, cartography, walking, photography and sound.

Through her work, Aoife explores the relationship between the body, the self and the environments we move through. Her practice is informed by research into disability, access to public space and the ways people experience and navigate their surroundings.

Her selected project, Cognitive Mapping / Connective Tissues, brings together sound, installation, sculpture and print. The work combines a sound walk, a gallery-based audio installation, a park bench, sculptural interventions using cobblestone and concrete, risograph prints and a publication.

The project invites audiences to consider how public spaces are experienced and navigated through a disabled body, drawing attention to the relationship between accessibility, movement and the built environment.

Kodjo (Isac) Kossivi: Exploring Identity and Belonging Through Art

Based in Limerick, Kodjo is a socially engaged, multidisciplinary artist and LSAD graduate whose practice spans sculpture, performance and mask making.

His work explores immigrant identity, cultural heritage and the role of the artist within a community. Collaboration and care are central to his approach, which has included working with community artists and institutions in Limerick.

His selected project, Threshold of Belonging, comprises 18 multimedia masks created using repurposed painted fabrics and jewellery, alongside three mixed-media bicycle helmets. The work explores identity, expression and the experiences that shape a sense of belonging.

The project also proposes a live performance in which selected masks are brought to life through music, dance and movement. Through this combination of visual art and performance, Kodjo aims to create a space for community, cultural exchange and shared expression.

Celebrating LSAD Talent

The selection of Aoife and Kodjo for the RDS Visual Art Awards 2026 highlights the diverse creative practices and perspectives emerging from LSAD. Their work engages with important questions around accessibility, identity, culture and community, demonstrating how contemporary art can encourage audiences to reflect on their experiences and the world around them.

Congratulations to both graduates on this achievement.

To discover more about the artists and their work, visit the RDS Visual Art Awards exhibition at the Gallery at RDS from 6 November 2026 to 23 January 2027.