Maser is judging this year's edition of RTE's This Is Art! competition, supported by Creative Ireland.
He's an acclaimed street artist who has created vibrant and colorful murals in cities around the world.
RTE’s This Is Art! is calling imaginative children across Ireland to be inspired by the outdoors, with This Is Nature! as the theme for 2025.
Young creators will be empowered to express themselves through whatever medium of art they prefer...
We asked Maser for his choice cultural picks...
MUSIC
I'm interested in right now really depends on the mood. At the moment, I’ve been listening to the Avett Brothers, brings me back to when I lived in Arkansas. I’ve good memories of those days driving across Arkansas into Oklahoma or down to Texas. I feel like I can trace a link between that kind of contemporary southern sound and Irish music, I can hear the roots of Irish immigrants who settled there generations ago and how their traditions fed into the music. When I’m painting, I tend to listen to bands like Sigur Rós or Múm and other Icelandic music. It’s what I’d call "abstract" music, helps me get into that creative headspace without being too demanding on my attention. And closer to home, Damien Dempsey. I’m lucky to be able to call him a pal now. He’s been a huge voice in my life, a male figure I could really resonate with at a time when I needed it most.
BOOK
To be honest, I don’t get as much pleasure from reading as I’d love to. Back in college I was diagnosed with dyslexia, and more recently ADHD, so retaining and recalling written information has always been a bit of a struggle. Reading often feels like hard work rather than escape. That said, I’m still surrounded by books, in a slightly different way. I gravitate towards portfolio style books on art, design, and education. They’re visual, and I’ve always found I can absorb things more naturally through images and visual cues. I think that’s shaped my own approach to making art too, I translate information visually, through colour, composition, and form. And since we’re on the subject of books, I’ll say this here as a bit of accountability! I plan to release my own book at the end of 2026. It’ll be a retrospective of 30 years of work, tracing the journey from painting outdoors to bringing that indoors. As well as imagery there’ll be storytelling, to give a sense of my life, the travelling, and experiences behind the work.
THEATRE
My favourite place to see a play has to be the Abbey Theatre. I also love The Gate, it has its own kind of magic in Dublin. Most recently, I went to see The Cave, written by Kevin Barry, starring Aaron Monaghan, Judith Roddy, and Tommy Tiernan. Every time I go, I think, I need to do this more often. The only challenge is time, I’m much more of a daytime person these days. Come six o’clock, it’s hard to get me out of the house, which is very different to how I was a decade ago.
TV
As for television, I’m pretty sporadic with it. I tend to just watch whatever’s in front of me, but I do gravitate towards documentaries. The truth is, I feel we’re so bombarded with shows and content now that it’s hard to really latch onto one. Years ago, if you saw a film like The Fugitive, you’d watch it again and again, and it would stick with you. Now with the sheer volume of what’s out there, things can feel a bit disposable, a bit forgettable, which is such a shame.
RADIO/PODCAST
Right now I’m listening to Stolen Sister, narrated by Roz Purcell. And when it comes to radio, I have to talk about the Arena show on RTE and Seán Rocks. Rest in peace, Seán. He was an incredible presenter and created such an important show. I want to take this chance to give thanks and credit to how much he did for me. I was listening recently to people commemorating him and everything they said rang true to my own experience. I think the first time he interviewed me was around 2010, maybe even earlier. Then, about a decade later, I was back in talking about another projec and he remembered the details of our first conversation a decade ago. His passion and attentiveness was remarkable. Normally I’d be quite nervous going on radio but I spoke to him three or four times over the years, and every time I left feeling rejuvenated, really heard, and often with a fresh perspective on my own work. He’ll be truly missed.
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GIG
I’m really looking forward to seeing CMAT in December with my wife. And then there’s Damien Dempsey in Vicar Street, which has always been one of my favourite gigs of the year. This time it’ll be different though, because my wife Dee Fitz is supporting him on the 23rd. It feels like a real full circle moment for me. Damo’s music has been part of my life for two decades, and now to see my wife on that same stage will be something else.
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TECH
I’d rather not get into apps and all that. To me, they feel like a necessary evil. I find they just busy my mind too much and take me away from the things that are actually important. They’re supposed to be about connection, but I think they often do the opposite. They create anxiety, and it feels like constant bombardment. Even something as simple as opening my phone, there are so many apps that I’m flicking through trying to find the right one, it’s all getting a bit too much for me. So I’m not too interested in promoting any of that.
THE NEXT BIG THING...
It has to be creativity. I’m immersed in that world every day. I help out behind the scenes with group shows, curating, managing etc. and I can see an incredible new wave of artists coming through. I suppose I can say that now because I’ve stepped into the "older" space, which has its benefits too. It’s exciting to see the energy and awareness in young visual artists and spoken word poets here in Dublin, and across Ireland. They’re changing the landscape in terms of the work itself, but also how shows are curated and how they’re communicated. Their voices feel very present and very important right now. Of course I’d encourage people to enjoy the big institutions, but also to make the effort to seek out the these independent shows, the smaller independent gallery spaces. That’s where you’ll find the the juice. Being creative isn’t always lucrative, but it carries a real purpose. It shapes our identity and that’s vital for our culture. Supporting artists means enabling them to keep doing what they do, and that’s something we need.
For more information and entry details on This Is Art!, go here
