Person to Person: I love electronic music and painting to it

Tell us about yourself;

My name is Ríona Denys, I have been painting since as long as I can remember. I am a self-taught French/Irish Cork-based artist. I also love electronic music and painting to it.

For Culture Night, I will be live painting on the DJ set of GRL vs Cailín during the premiere of Hybrasil’s Drones from the Island audiovisual show. 

This event is taking place in Cork City Hall and is organised by the Electronic Music Council.

Where do you live?

I am based in Cork. I have so much love for this city. There is a huge sense of community here and so many creative minds to meet. I have been living in Cork for almost three years and have found a home here.

Family?

I was born and raised in France. I grew up in a region called Picardie in the north of the country. My mother is Irish and my dad is French so I grew up in a multicultural and bilingual environment. She insisted that her children all have Irish names (Ríona, Cara and Killian). So half of my family is based in Ireland and half is based in France.

Best friend?

I have a few best friends based in France and a few best friends based in Cork. I have a great friend circle that I cherish a lot. One of my best friends called Maclaine will be showcasing with me some of their photography work in City Hall on Culture Night.

Earliest childhood memory?

During the autumn in the South of France, where my grandparents live, we would go picking snails. We were taught how to recognise different species and how to cook them. My granny makes the best parsley and garlic snails.

Person you most admire?

I most admire my dad, who used to be a detective and now is an expert for courts in France for criminal cases. He works as an ingenieur of crime scenes for attacks against the state and criminal research. He has always been really dedicated to his work and taught me the value of hard work and perseverance.

Where was your most memorable holiday?

When I was 15, I had the chance to participate in the UNESCO IMUN Summer Camp in Washington D.C. I travelled to the U.S on my own and stayed for two months. 

It was such an enriching experience to meet so many people from around the world and to debate on international issues.

I got to represent South Africa and discuss issues such as the International Criminal Court, The Illegal Trafficking of Wild Animals and The Future of Two Sudans.

Favourite TV programme?

I grew up without television so I’ve been discovering programmes over the last few years. At the moment I love watching Taskmaster, I think it’s hilarious. I find all the games and tasks really imaginative.

Favourite radio show?

I love electronic music and enjoy discovering new artists on radio shows. A good local one based in Cork is called Radio Otherway hosting different artists in a variety of genres.

Your signature dish if cooking?

I’ve always loved cooking with my family. We would always dance in the kitchen as we were cooking! But otherwise I make a really tasty gratin dauphinois and a lovely salad with my granny’s vinaigrette recipe.

Favourite restaurant?

I recently went to this amazing restaurant called Chestnut in Ballydehob. It was such a treat with a great tasting menu and local products. 

I also really enjoy seafood and really loved the seafood celebration in Goldie’s!

Last book you read?

The last book I read was probably a law book. I studied law for six years in France and in Ireland. My favourite subjects were Family Law and Children’s Rights.

Best book you read?

My all time favorite book is a classic called Perfume by Patrick Suskind. I’ve read this over 10 times. It follows an invidual called Grenouille who is uniquely gifted or cursed with an extraordinary sense of smell. You can, through the descriptive style of the author, smell the scents as you are reading.

Last album/CD/download you bought?

I would really recommend having a look at an Irish collaboration of works called FUINNEAMH on Bandcamp. It is a body of work based on high recording audios gathered at Fuinneamh Festival on which different artists (ie. Cailín, Lucas, Jon Hussey, Rustal, etc) created different tracks. It’s a beautiful combination of ambiant nature and Irish homage.

Favourite song?

I have many favourite songs of different genres, for instance the Dub tune Wonderful Feeling (Gordon Sound Remix); 303 Magnum by Protkseed which is an acid techno track (the acid sound was discovered by accident through a machine called the Roland TB-303 Bass Line); and Annihilation by Rain (Irish producer).

Your proudest moment?

It’s hard to pick a proudest moment. My latest, proudest moment would be working as part of the Trenchtown Sound system Crew for EP Festival 2023.

It was a beautiful set up, composed of two amazing Cork Bass Sound systems: Revelation Sound and Rise Up Sound system. I was very honoured to be part of such a great achieve-ment for bass culture.

Name one thing you would improve in your area in which you live?

One thing I would love to improve in Cork is the lack of music venues and late licences for our nightlife. Ireland is very behind compared to other European countries to provide spaces for our night-time industry.

This is an issue that has been greatly discussed by Sunil Sharpe in the Give Us The Night Campaign.

I was lucky to be selected last year as a participant for the Night Time Economy Consultation for Young People. I was able to address particularly the example of the destruction of The Sextant, which was a key venue in Cork and now is a destroyed space that remains unused. Hopefully, things will change soon as an entire community, culture and generation are just itching to dance.

What makes you happy?

I have the deepest founded respect for art and music. All art forms are part of a cycle that inspires and creates more art. I believe deep respect for all art forms does not have a hierarchy. Art, music and dance make me feel alive. I’d encourage anyone to try something creative, it’s so good for the brain and self-discovery.

How would you like to be remembered?

I just want to be true to myself and constantly grow. I think everyone is authentic and beautiful. Art, music and dance make me feel alive. A lot of my work showcases raw human emotions. Painting is a process for me to channel my emotions and deal with my mental health. My work just resonates with simply being a human. I’m just gonna stay in touch with myself and keep creating.

What else are you up to at the moment?

I am very honoured to be part of an amazing event organised by the Electronic Music Council that will happen for Culture Night in Cork City Hall on September 22. This event is an homage and a celebration of electronic music in Cork. I can’t wait to live paint and I hope people will enjoy it!

See culturenight.ie