Catherine Makem is an Irish artist living in Newry, Co. Down who creates her artwork using acrylic collage. In recent years she has had solo exhibitions of her work displayed in various centres North and South including the Linenhall Library Belfast; An Creagan Visitors Centre, Omagh; Portadown Library and Ti Chulainn Centre, Mullaghbawn. Catherine's art has also been part of many joint exhibitions.

Her highly original work formed the artistic centrepiece for the opening ceremony of the Iontas Centre in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan performed by President Mary Mc Aleese in December 2005.

The vibrancy of the colours jumps out at you as soon as you enter the space inviting you to look and see why. A closer look reveals that what seemed initially to be painting is actually a lively mix of paint and collage with reflective surfaces, sometimes giving tinges of colour which subtly change as we move past.

The figures pulse with colour and shape; the faces like masks are perfectly suited to the archetypal themes she tackles and some reveal a really subtle sense of humour that reveals itself only with close attention. And attention, after all, is what good art demands. - Art Bites. Northern Standard, December 2005