Person to Person: 'I love exploring second-hand shops and making my own things where I can'

Tell us about yourself:

I’m Billie Adele, I’m a painter based in Cork. I’m really passionate about art, film, music, and I love to dance and do yoga!

Where were you born?

I was born in the Erinville Hospital in Cork .

Where do you live?

Still in Cork. I think, wherever I go, I will always come back.

Family?

I was raised by my grandmother after the early loss of my mother, and by a constellation of colourful people who shaped how I see the world.

Best friend?

I’m grateful to be blessed with lots of best friends, all living around the world — and lots, thankfully, here in Cork!

Earliest childhood memory?

Hard to pinpoint, but this one comes to mind. I was four and living in Ithaca, New York, with my mum and grandmother. We were shopping at a place called Wegmans. I fell out of a trolley, chin-first, onto broken glass and got eight stitches that came out looking like a little beard.

People/artists you most admire?

I look up to creatives like David Lynch for his philosophy and connection to the greater universal wisdom we all possess, and his crazy, boundless creativity, and Vivienne Westwood for her fearless rebellious brilliance and her moral commitment.

Type of person who most irritates you?

Negative attitudes.

Most memorable holiday?

A cross-country American road trip with my uncle and sister around 2000, visiting old family and friends.

Favourite TV programme?

I love cartoons, so The Simpsons and King of the Hill — basically anything by Mike Judge.

Favourite radio show?

I don’t listen to the radio much, but I love music and podcasts. My favourites are A Brush With... and The Great Women Artists. I also love Talk Easy With Sam Fragoso and a podcast called Weird Studies.

Signature dish if cooking?

Anything with guacamole or pickles.

Favourite restaurant?

In Cork, I love Umi Falafel and Liberty Grill.

Last book you read?

Currently reading The Island Of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.

Best book you’ve read?

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley continues to be a favourite; it continues to inspire and inform my work. I love the horror genre in general in both film and literature. It tells us a lot about what we fear as a society.

Last album or download?

An album I keep returning to is Infinite Space by Síomha.

Favourite song?

Hard to answer because it changes with my mood, but I do love Mayonaise by The Smashing Pumpkins — or jazz/’70s/disco when I’m dancing!

One person you’d like to see in concert?

Prince. I’ll be forever sad that I never got the chance.

Do you have a pet?

Yes, my cat Suzie. She’s been with me for over ten years, and I even have a tattoo of her.

Morning person or night owl?

I like the hopeful stillness of mornings. But I love night too — it’s mystical.

Proudest moment?

Receiving my degree was pretty cool, but being selected as a finalist for the RDS Visual Art Awards has been a really special milestone.

Spend or save?

I save on some things. I really love exploring second-hand shops and making my own things where I can. I love trinkets, shoes, and impractical crazy coats! And of course, I buy a lot of art materials… paint is expensive!!

One thing you’d improve in your area?

More available and affordable studio spaces for artists.

What makes you happy?

Painting, watching films, making things, my cat, dancing to good music with people I love, eating, learning, laughing!

How would you like to be remembered?

I think as someone who made others feel seen… and maybe in later years, an eccentric old lady.

What else are you up to at the moment?

I’m spending a lot of time playing and experimenting in my studio at Backwater Artists, preparing for upcoming exhibitions. I was thrilled to be selected as one of the ten finalists for the RDS Visual Art Awards 2025 [Billie Adelle was announced as an award recipient in recent days].

This year is a special one for the awards too — it’s the 10th anniversary of the RDS Visual Art Awards and the 165th anniversary of the RDS Taylor Art Trust Award, so it feels extra exciting to be part of it.

Our work will be shown at the RHA until January 25, 2026.It’s such an amazing platform for emerging artists at a really important moment in our careers.