TODAY Mullaghderg artist Kim Sharkey takes off on her travels to Svalbard, the world’s northernmost inhabited place, to create a graphic novel that tells a “magical” folklore tale from her childhood.
The remote Norwegian archipelago lies in the Arctic Ocean near the North Pole, the islands are renowned for their untouched wilderness and glistening glaciers where polar bears pace.
She might not make it as far as Santa’s workshop but Kim is very excited to see “the native reindeer that walk about the town in Longyearbyen,” she told the Donegal News.
Kim has been offered an artist residency for December and January, during the depths of winter when the sun goes into hiding. This was the perfect time for her to visit, to capture what dances in the dark skies- the Aurora Borealis.
special place
The Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights hold a special place in her heart. As a child she saw them with her father from their home in Mullaghderg.
She fondly recalled old folklore tales from her childhood and how the room would “fill with magic” as her father told them. These stories inspired the Irish language novel.
Her father Brian Sharkey has since passed away, so she felt the stars had aligned when she received the news she was accepted for the residency on his anniversary.
The temperature in Svalbard reaches lows of -42 degrees; but Kim won’t let that get in her way.
“I’ve packed ski trousers and spiked shoes,” she laughed.
She has also packed a little piece of home to share with her hosts, a pair of Donegal socks and a bottle of Croithlí Whiskey.
Before her trip Kim finished the illustrations for her upcoming book called Mama Gé (translated as Mother Goose) with Gabriel Rosenstock.
The book to be published by Éabhlóid and is due to hit the shelves in early 2023.
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