Institution
ATU Sligo
Medium
Sculpture
Graduation Year
Class of 2026
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I’ve been an observer of all forms of life, throughout my life. My artwork is an expression of my observations, mostly on an unconscious level during its creation, followed by comprehension on subsequent reflection. I watch all beings in my sight, how they interact, react, play, converse and simply be. When I say beings, I include myself, family and friends, and people whom I don’t know, animals, insects, flora and fauna. To me, though physically structured differently, there is birth, life and death among all forms, and after death, there is something unknown, but even then, a connection remains. This body of work reflects my inspiration. The sheep represents both a conscious relationship that my friend has with a ram. He was rejected by his mother at birth, so she raised him from a lamb. It is now a large healthy ram but is treated as a domestic pet. This I find heart-warming, but thinking of it from another perspective, it’s a sad fact that it was rejected by its own biological mother. But such is life sometimes. On a broader level, the ram reflects rural Ireland too, which I was always drawn to but only relocated from Dublin to Co. Leitrim in 2020. A move that was beneficial to me in more ways than I can describe. I admire historical works depicting animals by artists such as George Stubbs and Diego Velázquez but I find contemporary artists working with cardboard more inspiring. Jimmy Grashow is a good example as he created ephemeral cardboard sculptures that he allowed to naturally decompose which was encompassed into his exhibition. I find this fascinating and exciting but also an idea that feels natural to me. I want an audience to interact with my 3D work, to touch it, see it from all angles, and ponder as to what happens to it next. My burning work is another exciting aspect to provoke thought surrounding my practice. While I dabbled with creative education courses in the past, I lacked the confidence and resources to enable me to study an art degree. In truth, I wasn’t ready until I began my BA in Fine Art at Sligo in 2023. I feel that it is the correct time for me in my life and the opportunity is a privilege that I will never take for granted. I have learned so much, and my work has changed and developed over these years. There were some challenges, some more difficult than others, but that was to be expected, and I feel I handled them well. I am excited for my future and allowing my creative expression and artwork to evolve for the rest of my time on earth.
