The paintings in the ‘Emerald to Rainbow Isle' series address the huge step forward towards marriage equality that happened on 22 May 2015 when the Irish voted to legalise same-sex marriage and reject the old and out-of-date views of the Catholic Church. This vote made Ireland a better and fairer place to live and love and has changed lives. LGBTIQ+ people have been relieved of the pain and anguish that comes with being explicitly denied a right that is available to everyone else. This has been a long and hard journey with huge suffering, stigma, and isolation along the way. This significant ‘yes’ to equal marriage in Ireland shows that dignity and human rights can triumph over hate, bigotry, and fear.

There are roughly 65 countries where homosexuality is illegal. But extraordinary change is possible, and an increasingly liberal Ireland has shown us that peaceful social revolution can happen. If you champion equality, so that people feel they too belong, there will not only be less Isolation and discrimination in the world there will be less trouble.

Ash’s paintings celebrate this achievement and capture the transformation that has taken place over time. They capture the emotion and dynamics, social, religious, and political that led to such a significant ‘yes’ to equal marriage in Ireland.

The paintings are optimistic. They embody hope for the future and the power that love has when people stand together against adversity.