My art delves into the realm of folklore, exploring the wavering and ever-shifting relationship between nature and humanity. This collection began with my fascination with the folktales tied to Ireland and Scotland’s native animals. Having spent much of my childhood in the Scottish Highlands surrounded by local folktales and superstitions from both Scotland and Ireland, I developed a deep, almost instinctual curiosity about faeries and the mystical boundary that separates humanity from the hidden, magical world. In my work, I examine how certain creatures within folklore are often portrayed as sinister or deceptive. The hare, in particular, has long been linked to witchcraft; with tales of it consuming human flesh, stealing from local folk, and even witches taking the form of hares with malevolent intent. The hare’s flighty, nervous demeanour is what brought these superstitions upon the creature, and this behaviour is captured within my work. I use dissected, flowing, almost moving compositions to explore the smooth movement of the hare and the transformation from hare to witch. My artistic process is centred around experimentation with a variety of compositions, unsettling imagery and unconventional layouts to explore this shapeshifting witchcraft and the many forms the transformations take.
