Aches x DJ Próvaí (KNEECAP): Danu,

2025,

Footnotes

Created following a conversation with DJ Provaí of KNEECAP, this work by Aches reinterprets the mythological Irish figure Danu through a contemporary lens. Painted using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black spray paint, the piece mimics the halftone printing process while celebrating the mark-making qualities of graffiti, with visible drips, overspray, and variation in each dot. Up close, the painting reveals a field of abstract colour and texture, however from a distance, these points converge into the image of Danu as a modern Irish woman - embodying strength, creativity, and renewal. The background's lush greenery and warm orange sunset echo the colours of the Irish flag and DJ Provaí's iconic balaclava, linking ancient myth to contemporary Irish culture. Through this synthesis of digital technique, graffiti, and folklore, Aches explores how Ireland's visual identity continues to evolve between tradition and modern expression.

Aches is a Dublin-based visual artist who first picked up a spray can at the age of 15. His signature murals gravitate around rich, highly-controlled colour-gradients and optical illusion techniques — often built using subtractive CMYK layering on white backgrounds, giving rise to an almost cinematic sense of depth and digital glitch-aesthetic in analogue form. Aches divides his practice between expansive outdoor murals (in countries such as Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and the UK) and studio-based fine-art prints and paintings that retain his street-art energy while refining into collectible editions.

DJ Próvaí is a Northern Irish dynamic DJ, producer and sonic architect behind the Irish‑language hip‑hop group KNEECAP. Merging heavy hip‑hop beats with Irish‑language lyrics, political commentary and punk‑inflected energy, Próvaí crafts a distinctive sound that fuses boom‑bap, gritty sampling and rebellious cultural identity. Beyond music, he appears in and co‑wrote the 2024 biopic KNEECAP (film), which dramatizes the group's rise from Belfast's Irish‑language grassroots to international recognition.

Provenance:
Donated directly by the artists to In Place of War for this sale.
All proceeds from the sale of this Lot will go to the charity In Place Of War, which is a global organisation that uses creativity in places of conflict as a tool for positive change.

MUSIC SHAPED is a project from non-profit organisation In Place of War that pairs musical and cultural icons with exceptional visual artists to create works reflecting how music has influenced their lives. The collaboration begins with a recorded conversation between the visual artist and musician, and results in the creation of a brand new artwork reflecting their conversations and creative journeys.

In Place of War is a UK-based, global organisation that uses artistic creativity in places impacted by conflict and climate change as a tool for positive change. In Place of War supports grassroots change-makers in music, theatre and visual art, to transform cultures of violence and suffering into hope, opportunity and freedom. Starting as a research project at the University of Manchester in 2004, initial research findings spurred practical projects and programming. Twenty years later, In Place of War works with a change-maker network of 130 creative organisations across 30 countries, all making lasting change in their communities. Artist ambassadors and fellow supporters include Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Martin Aitkens, Ed O'Brien, Peter Hook, Laurie Anderson and Nitin Sawhney.

Proceeds from the sale of MUSIC SHAPED artworks will support In Place of War's #HackMusic Programme, which provides critical catalyst funding to support the development of essential life-changing music projects with indigenous communities; LGBTQI+ artists; artists in conflict zones; and artists responding to the climate crisis.

For more information please visit: https://www.inplaceofwar.net/