Cork artist, John the Painter has been in care since the 1960s, living in a communal environment for most of his adult life. Art has given him a means to explore his feelings and thoughts about life, creating a body of work that is exuberantly colourful and celebratory. Much of John’s work is autobiographical, showing memories of Cork in the 1960s. Paintings of his early life show backdrops of the buildings and pubs of the city. An exhibition of John’s work was held at IMMA in 2003.