HARE SCULPTURE 2020 AT THE BUTLER GALLERY

HARE 2020 BY ANI MOLLEREAU [BUTLER GALLERY FEBRUARY 2026]

In Late February 2026 I photographed the "Hare 2020" by Ani Mollereau at the Butler Gallery but I also photographed this, or a similar, sculpture at the 2016 Sculpture In Context in Dublin - Catalog REF 106 "Hare"

It is a wonderful coincidence to have encountered the same artist’s work across a decade, especially in two such distinct and prestigious settings. My photographs link a permanent fixture of Kilkenny’s contemporary art scene with a specific moment in Dublin’s most celebrated outdoor sculpture exhibition.

The Sculpture: "Hare"

The piece I photographed at the Butler Gallery in early 2026 is a striking work titled "Hare 2020". Made of stainless steel, it is a permanent feature of the gallery’s outdoor collection in Kilkenny. Its presence there is a testament to Mollereau's ability to capture the "shivering pent-up static" of the animal, as she often quotes that a hare’s movement is plagued by restrained energy.

Regarding my 2016 photograph:

The Exhibition: Sculpture in Context, which is held annually at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin.

Catalogue REF 106: In 2016, Ani Mollereau was a featured artist. While she frequently works in bronze and bog oak, her "Hare" series has evolved through different mediums and scales. The 2016 iteration represented the earlier exploration of this form that eventually led to the 2020 stainless steel commission for the Butler Gallery.

The Connection: Seeing both pieces allows one to trace the evolution of her style—from the smaller, often more tactile gallery pieces to the large-scale, weather-resistant public installations.

The Artist: Ani Mollereau

Born in Dublin to an Irish mother and French father, Ani Mollereau is a self-taught sculptor whose work sits at the intersection of the figurative and the abstract. She is based in Kilkenny, which explains the strong presence of her work at the Butler Gallery.

Style and Philosophy

Mollereau’s work is less about anatomical measurement and more about the "spirit of the animal.

Dynamic Lines: She uses simplified, flowing lines to give motionless substances the impression of sudden, frantic movement.

Materials: While I photographed the stainless steel "Hare," she is most famous for her work in bronze, silver, and ancient bog oak. She often combines these to suggest a link between the earthly (wood) and the spiritual (metal).

Inspiration: Having spent much of her life around horses, her work often explores themes of majesty, endurance, and the "invisible" life force. She describes her creative process as intuitive, often starting with clay and letting the shape dictate whether it becomes a bird, a horse, or a hare.