My practice spans across various mediums including sculpture, soft materials, textiles, text, and drawing. Central to my practice is an exploration into the nuanced qualities of the Irish language, which serves as a rich foundation for my investigations into identity, translation, and power dynamics. I am particularly interested in moments of linguistic slippage, mistranslation, and misrepresentation. I use these key concepts as a means to unravel complex narratives and challenge existing hierarchies and binaries.
I've been engaged in this around identity and translation in order to uncover the complexities associated with a postcolonial existence in Ireland, while considering how the past informs present narratives. Minor languages often contain specialised knowledge, indigenous wisdom, and alternative perspectives on many aspects of life, including ecology and the land, spirituality, and social organisation. By uncovering and honouring these alternate forms of knowledge, intrinsic “Irishisms” are preserved in a society wrought with globalisation.
My work with textiles and knitting, in particular, delves into the symbolism of knotting and twisting as metaphors for the complexities of language and meaning.