Cork artist, John the Painter (so named because of the need to respect his privacy) has been in care since the 1960s, living in a communal and often difficult environment for most of his adult life. Art has given him a means to explore his own feelings and thoughts about life, creating a body of work that is exuberantly colourful and celebratory. Much of John’s work is autobiographical, showing vivid memories of Cork in the 1960s. Paintings of his early life show backdrops of the buildings and pubs of the city. An exhibition of 23 of John’s paintings and drawings was held at IMMA in 2003.