Exhibitions and Events

2024 Collective at the RHA
2025 Collective at the RHA
2026 Collective at the RHA
2025 Exhibition at the RCSI

What Lies Within

A collaborative exhibition between Art is Collective, Connections Arts Centre & Mencap Northern Ireland

Exhibition dates: Thursday 2 July – Friday 21 August 2026

What Lies Within is a collaborative exhibition bringing together artists from Art is Collective, Connections Arts Centre, and Mencap Northern Ireland, in partnership with University of Atypical for Arts and Disability.

The exhibition features artwork created by members of Art is Collective and CAC Artists Collective from Connections Arts Centre, two artist-led groups that support and celebrate the creative practices of artists with disabilities and lived experience.

Gallery Information

  • Atypical Gallery - University of Atypical for Arts and Disability, 109 – 113 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1FF

  • Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 10:00 am – 5:30 pm

To view images from the opening night, click the arrows on the left and right on the slideshow below, to scroll through.

Two men stand in front of a framed painting that depicts a diorama with five figures, two toy cars, and a green object.
Poster for "What Lies Within," a collaborative exhibition between Connections Arts Centre, Art is Collective, and Mencap Northern Ireland. The artwork features a collage of textured elements, including shoe soles and colorful abstract shapes. The pos
A detailed, ornate, multi-story stone building with arched windows and decorative columns.
A vibrant turquoise beetle with striking horns is depicted in a whimsical painting. The beetle is adorned with light purple that has textured blue patches. Delicate pink magnolia blossoms branch out from behind the insect, framing its head and body a
Several people are standing on a wooden floor looking at framed artwork displayed on a white gallery wall.
A framed pastel drawing of a still life arrangement featuring a blue water bottle and a smartphone resting on a book, with other objects and a wooden surface in the background.
A man in a blue button-down shirt and dark pants gestures towards a large, abstract painting with bold brushstrokes of dark colors, purple, red, and yellow, while holding a mug. A woman in a black top and jeans stands to his right, looking at the art
Painting of a bright, summery landscape with a path leading through trees towards a body of water under a clear blue sky.
A man with short brown hair and a beard stands in front of colorful abstract art displayed on a white wall in a gallery.
A framed colorful digital print on canvas depicts a solitary figure in a dark coat and purple hat standing on a gray path against a bright blue sky and a fence made of rough brown posts.
Two individuals stand in an art gallery looking at paintings displayed on white walls, including a detailed mosaic of a rooster and several abstract and nature-themed artworks.
A vibrant, impressionistic painting of a bright blue kingfisher perched on a branch against a lush green background of foliage and water, framed in white.
A person wearing a camouflage cap, a light-colored t-shirt, and navy sweatpants stands in an art gallery, looking at a series of framed artworks displayed on a white wall. The person carries a light-colored messenger bag over their shoulder and holds
Framed abstract painting with bold brushstrokes in oranges, blues, yellows, and black on a textured background.
Four people stand smiling in front of a large, abstract painting with dark hues and streaks of vibrant color.
A Cubist-style painting in a white frame depicts a person with a yellow face on the left and a teal face on the right, divided vertically. The figure holds a yellow book with blue hands, and the background is a mosaic of colorful geometric shapes.
A Cubist-style painting in a white frame depicts a person with a yellow face on the left and a teal face on the right, divided vertically. The figure holds a yellow book with blue hands, and the background is a mosaic of colorful geometric shapes.
Framed abstract mosaic painting with a vibrant, stained-glass-like background of red, yellow, pink, blue, and green rectangles. A bright pink, stylized floral or atomic symbol is centered over the mosaic.
A person stands next to a framed watercolor painting of a large, ornate house surrounded by trees and a vibrant yellow sky.
An acrylic painting in a white frame depicts a young person in a red dress and an older person in a lime green jacket holding hands and dancing. The background is a gradient of vibrant yellow and blue brushstrokes.
Graffiti mural featuring a cartoon man playing a guitar with musical notes, the word "BELFAST" in large blue lettering, and a figure spraying graffiti, all against a sunset sky background with clouds and a bird.
A framed pencil drawing of a vintage electric streetcar with yellow and red stripes, parked on tracks, with a blurred background and a signature at the bottom right.
Two acrylic paintings are displayed side-by-side on a white wall. The left painting depicts a coastal landscape with a body of water, cliffs, a field of daisies in the foreground, and a bright orange and blue sky. The right painting shows a beach sce
A person viewed from behind stands in an art gallery, looking at two paintings on a white wall: a colorful abstract portrait on the left and a vibrant tree of life on the right.
A bright pink double-decker bus passes a building covered in a vibrant, abstract mural featuring wavy lines in yellow, purple, blue, orange, and white, with "ROYAL AVENUE" written in large white letters on the lower section of the wall.
Impressionistic oil painting of a stone building with arched windows and a steep roof, flanking a wet road on a cloudy day.
Group of people looking at art on a wall in a gallery, one person is showing something on a phone to another.
A black rooster painting with a red comb and wattle hangs on a white wall in an art gallery, alongside other framed artworks.
People viewing artwork on a white gallery wall, including a painting of a stylized turquoise beetle with pink flowers.
A person walks past artwork displayed on white walls in an art gallery, with a close-up of a blue and black painting on the left.