Gajewska's dynamic, textured, expressionistic paintings deal with her inner emotions and experiences. It was inevitable, then, that living abroad would be instrumental in developing her approach to painting. "I am anonymous here, which gives me the opportunity to be alone and create alone. If you are abroad, you are often confused . . . and my art is about mental confusion."

Her time in Ireland has been positive on the whole. "It is completely different than in Warsaw, but I think I wanted the complete opposite experience.

The atmosphere here is very contemplative, " she says.

"Ireland has become both my studio and my material."

It was because there was no platform for Polish art and culture in Ireland that Monika Sapielak, who has been living here for the past three years, established ArtPolonia in 2006.

This organisation works as "an information and exchange centre for Polish culture and society as well as for Polish-Irish cooperation and exchange".

"I want people to come together, " says Sapielak. "I do not want to organise events only for Polish people . . . I want to provide opportunities for all people living in Ireland to meet their culture as well." Before ArtPolonia existed, there was no cohesive platform for the scattering of Polish artists throughout this island. "I do not think that there are many facilities for international artists in Ireland, " says Sapielak. "That is exactly what I am trying to organise, to build this platform."

Arriving in a foreign country without any contacts in the cliquish art world means that even the most talented of artists can fall through the cracks, as Sapielak has discovered. "With art it is difficult to get established because of the competition, and also the language can be a big barrier. A few people made it but they are absolutely outstanding artists . . . many do not."

Echoing Gajewska's experience, it was by chance rather than design that Bartosz Koata, a talented young painter, came to Ireland. Hitchhiking through Europe, he arrived in Dublin to visit a friend, but when he realised that he only had 15 left, he had no choice but to stay.

"For the first few months I didn't like Dublin, but I started to like it a lot after one year, and now I love it. In Poland the main problem is money, because it's hard to sell paintings. But as a Polish artist in Ireland it was difficult because first of all I was new, I wasn't Irish, I didn't know a lot of people, and nobody knew me. But it's much easier to live and be an artist in Ireland and to find someone who will buy your work and admire your work."