Part of Kilkenny Arts Festival | 7–15 August 2025
This August, Butler House is proud to host a very special exhibition as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival 2025 — The Music Room by renowned Irish artist Tim Goulding. On display from 7th to 15th August, the show is a continuation of Goulding’s celebrated “Music” series, previously exhibited in Cork, Dublin, Bantry and London.
Set against the elegant backdrop of Butler House, within the grounds of the Kilkenny Castle Demesne, this exhibition is especially meaningful. The house is home to the Basil Goulding Collection, a permanent display of important Irish contemporary artworks collected in the 1960s and 70s by Sir Basil and Lady Valerie Goulding, Tim’s parents. The collection includes early works by Tim himself, making his return to Butler House a full-circle moment that bridges heritage, family, and artistic legacy.
Painting with Colour Like Music
The “Music” series explores the relationship between sound and colour, drawing directly from Goulding’s early training in classical music. These paintings are full of rhythm and emotion, visual compositions that Goulding describes as “singing with colour.” Inspired by the likes of Klee, Miró, and Mondrian, the works use abstract shapes, staves, soloists, and harmonic lines to express joy, uplift, and harmony through painted form.
Goulding puts it beautifully: “I try to apply colours like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music.”
A Life in Art
Born in Dublin in 1945, Tim Goulding has lived and worked near Allihies, West Cork since 1969. He is a founding member of Aosdána, the Irish affiliation of outstanding artists, and has exhibited widely in Ireland and abroad. His work has evolved through themed series over the decades, always led by intuition, emotion and what he calls a simple philosophy: “see and play.”
Many also know Goulding as a musician. In 1967, he co-founded the cult folk band Dr. Strangely Strange, and the group is currently preparing to release their fourth studio album, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, with a tour planned across Ireland and the UK in September 2025.
A Festival Highlight
With its historic interiors and strong connection to the Goulding Collection, Butler House is a fitting home for The Music Room. Visitors to the exhibition can also explore the broader Kilkenny Castle Estate, including the Castle Yard craft studios, walled gardens, and of course, the Basil Goulding Art Collection displayed throughout the house year-round.
Whether you're an art lover, a festival-goer, or simply curious, this is a unique chance to experience the vivid musicality of Tim Goulding’s work in a space shaped by his family's artistic legacy.
- The Music Room Exhibition
- 7th – 15th August 2025
- Butler House, Kilkenny
- Free Entry | Part of Kilkenny Arts Festival
For more on Tim Goulding, visit: www.timgoulding.com