Part of Aidan Hickey’s Ulysses series, which was exhibited in Zurich, at the UB Law, as part of the exhibit “James Joyce, Ulysses, and the Law” (April 15 to May 18, 2025).
“Stephen Dedalus is sharing temporary accommodation with Buck Mulligan and an Englishman, Haines, in the Sandycove Martello Tower. It’s morning and the young men prepare for a summer’s day in the city.
Honouring Ulysses origins, the painting imitates Greek pottery designs. Beneath this veneer of classical calm, Stephen is learning to accept that his life in Dublin is over.
The opening action of the episode echoes Shakespeare. Hamlet’s story begins when he meets the ghost of his Father on the battlements of Elsinore. Stephen’s story begins when he encounters the ghost of his Mother on the gun-deck of the Tower.”
Aidan Hickey