User:Christian.michelena/sandbox

Legacy

Throughout Irene Broe's life, her legacy not just as a sculptor but as an individual displayed true acts of greatness and warmheartedness. Prior to becoming the well renowned artist she has become, sculpting was not her first career choice (Snoddy,2002) .Her legacy began to take off after finishing her college degree and becoming a ‘member of the first council of the Institute of the sculptors of Ireland’ (Snoddy,2002). Sean Corkey, an Irish author, described her beautiful display of ‘The Thoughtful one’, as the ‘most memorable’(Corkey,1959) among other sculptures made by other Irish artists exhibited at the yearly Irish festival held by the Institution of ‘An Tostal’. Within the Irish artist’s work she narrates a story behind her art, allowing the public to witness sculptures with unique identities.

Settling in Ireland wasn’t enough for the artist, she wanted to experience new cultures and display his talents globally. As her husband, Jim Mcdonnell was privileged enough to be employed by the ‘Malaysian Rubber Research Institute’, this allowed Broe to share her work among the people of Malaysia. Having lived in Malaysia for seven years, the Irish artist gained popularity from her continuous participation in the National Art Gallery’s annual exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur. Gaining this recognition during her career with living outside her home land, she received her most important commission piece which was given by the ‘The National Union of Plantation’. Her unbelievable passion for sculpting head pieces, encouraged the organisation to pursue a head piece dedicated to the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman made by Broe.

As her journey continued, her sculptures had been exhibited across many museums throughout Ireland and other parts of the world. Following her passing, her sculptures remained iconic and known by many. Her continuity to tell a story within her work created a strong legacy for herself even after her death in 1992.