Current exhibits

Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design
is proud to present...

Divine Intervention
Vermin Graffiti
Dale Collins (Ireland) solo exhibition

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Dale Collins’ work bridges the dichotomy of negativity and positivity, exploring the tension between despair and hope through the intertwined narratives of his life and the story of Vermin Graffiti. Vermin, an infamous graffiti artist from 1990s Bristol, UK, was sectioned at the age of 25 in one of the country’s oldest asylums, convinced he was part of a movie orchestrated by a higher establishment with advanced technology. This marked a pivotal moment in a life shaped by extraordinary creativity and profound struggle.

As an internationally recognized contemporary artist and a single father raising two teenage daughters in Ireland, Dale’s practice serves as both a personal meditation and a tribute to resilience. His series Divine Intervention channels subconscious energies through intuitive mark-making techniques, embedding layers of graffiti tagging poetry as a transformative force. These verses—drawn from Vermin’s raw graffiti poetry and Dale’s own reflections—are not mere embellishments but catalysts for change, resonating within the canvas and far beyond it.

Vermin’s story, shaped by his creative brilliance and struggles with mental health, is reinterpreted in Dale’s paintings with a lens of hope and renewal. By integrating Vermin’s words into his art, Dale honors his friend’s voice while manifesting positivity—a process of reconciliation and healing. This body of work is Dale’s declaration of faith: a space where minds, stories, and struggles collide in an effort to transform and transcend the lingering shadows of mental illness.

Each piece begins with a central horizontal line, rooted in Vermin’s iconic graffiti tag. From this foundation, Dale expands the composition through improvisation, blending influences from the Impressionist masters with the raw energy of Neo-Expressionism. This evolving process reflects the concept of divine intervention, where instinctive creativity transforms pain into beauty and meaning.

The question arises: are these the voices of two artists, or is it one artist battling the dual forces of the mind? From graffiti to fine contemporary art, this bipolar dynamic reflects the constant collision of mental illness and wellbeing—debilitation and enlightenment—that can strike at any moment. The result is a profound collection of works that spark conversation, touching on themes that resonate with all of us.

For Dale, art is not merely expression; it is a process of healing, connection, and transformation—a visual language that gives form to the invisible battles we face as well as a celebration of the power of creativity to overcome.

Dale has a BA honors in fine art Coventry University UK as well as being a former student on the MA abstract painting program at California State University Longbeach CA.

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Artist's reception: February 7, 2024 5-9pm
Exhibition dates: February 7-March 15, 2025

Gallery hours:
Thursdays & *Fridays Noon–7pm, (*First Fridays 5-9pm)
Saturdays Noon–5pm

Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design
is proud to present...

Raison d'Etre
Anick Langelier (Canada) solo exhibition

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Anick Langelier (b. 1981) is a self taught, intuitive artist living and working in Montreal, Canada. Anick Langelier began painting on a steady basis at the age of 16 to cope with her experiences with BPD. She was first strongly driven by her love for the classic painters of the impressionist, expressionist and surrealist movements. Over the years she has emerged as a true original talent with her own signature style that she refers to as “literary figuration”, and could be associated with the larger movement called “art brut”.

Anick Langelier has a corpus of over 500 paintings all crammed in the four rooms of her father’s apartment in Montreal. She literally lives for her art and only stops when she’s short of canvases and paint. She has a wonderful way of depicting strange universes full of people, existential quests, the idea of God, good and evil and the dreamy-haunting worlds of childhood. She’s also inspired by classic masterpieces like “Le Cri” from E. Munch, Goya’s “Tres de Mayo”, Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear” or “L’Angelus du soir” from Jean-François Millet and sometimes renders her own version with mesmerizing effect.

“… and it took a long time before I understood that I was searching for true and unique things and one day on earth I discovered the Bible which spoke of heaven and hell and also of the path to God at the end of one’s earthly life I was obsessed with this hell and the sublime happiness and death…” ~ Anick Langelier

Langelier has shown in several galleries in Montreal & Danville in Quebec, Canada, as well as in Geneva, Switzerland and Paris France. Langelier has also been featured in the Biennale Internationale d’Art-Hors-Les-Normes in Lyon, France, the International Museum of Naïve Art in Magog, Quebec, Canada and the Museum of Outsider Contemporary Art (MOCA).

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Raison d’Etre at Anno Domini is her first exhibition in the United States.

Opening reception: First Friday, March 7th 5–9pm
Exhibition dates: March 7–April 12, 2025