UNCOMMON GROUND
3rd Year Contemporary Applied Art Exhibition
 

MTU Gallery at 46 Grand Parade
Wed 30 Apr – 2 May

About Artists

1. Aine Kavanagh
Grids

I am interested in the underlying systems of geometry inherent in both nature and man-made environments. These systems are created through precise folding and careful stitching before dying in indigo and rust. These systems or grids, provide a spatial and structural format in which to work. The grid, so stridently modern and secular is fused with the deliberate intervention of the artistic hand to accommodate the mythical and spiritual.
Through this on-going artistic exploration, the importance of the artist’s hand becomes evident as a valid means of communicating ideas in the face of the continued proliferation of the digital interface. The works produced have a fragmented sensitivity that display the pursuit of a delicateness and refinement, in order to present work imbued with a serene and solemn calm.

2. Margaret Mohally
Tabula Rasa

Repurposing materials I find along the seashore is the foundation of my work. Materials that have been thrown away, lost or broken, I want to capture the possibilities of every piece I find.
The sea brings with it the power to have a physical and emotional reaction. The textures of the found materials hold what the sea had left behind, instilling a story in each piece.
I bring with me a love of modern shapes, the dark corners they create, the ones where we can hide. Repurposing has in turn repurposed me. A new meaning, a new beginning, a new voice.

3. Aisling White
Where should I put my stuff

This piece reflects the age of wasteful consumer culture driven by the cuteness of it all. Using ‘ethically’ found, collected and gifted meaningfully cute plastic items along with the integration of hand built ceramics and sloppy crafting from items in the home I aim to expose the over consumption I have participated in. instead of letting it go to the landfill my piece hopes to find a place to put all my stuff.

4. Abigail McCarthy
The Morrígan

Statement: I am a textile artist with a foundation in realism drawing, exploring the intersection of Celtic heritage and gothic aesthetics. My work is deeply inspired by Irish folklore, particularly the figure of The Morrígan, the goddess of war and shapeshifting. Through dolls and puppets, I bring her mythos to life, weaving together themes of transformation, strength, and forgotten feminine power.

5. Emma Rielly
Untitled
My work is about the relationship the living has with the dead. I play with the idea of the veil that

separates these two worlds. I represent these two stages of being through soft ephemeral materials such as textiles. The textile tubes are filled with all types of found materials such as stuffing, yarn and dried flowers, and arranged in organic flowing forms. I like to work large scale so that the viewer can be fully immersed in the artwork. I love to create abstract representations of the body and the many forms it takes on, moving throughout life and eventually slipping into death.

6. Nanne van Schie
The waterbody, a tutorial

“one is homebound or a homebody” Recently I have been thinking about the relationship between the human body and the space of the home. As a Dutch artist on a short-term stay in Ireland this exploration is not just visual, but also embodied. I am asking questions rather than attempting to answers them. I am searching for a tension between service and aimlessness, a fragile balance in composition, and a conversation
between myself and various materials. I consider my practice a quiet critique on housing crises and overconsumption, and with a patient, stubborn and playful approach I look for queer materialities and relations of mutual care – secretly hoping to inspire a more sustainable connection with the home and other beings from the material world.

7. Ezra Williams
Pocket shrines

These shrines are made to be a portable way to worship / pray to things in my own life. Taking aspects I like from religion and making it fit my own view of spirituality

8. Laurie Manning
Malevolent Vegetable

My work is inspired by carnivorous plants and the various devices they use to lure and trap their prey. These theatrical plants use bright colourisation, patterning and dew-like surfaces to lure their prey. Glistening glues, pin-shaped tentacles and curling leaves are actioned to capture the prey. I was intrigued by these strange plants and the beauty in their otherness.
In my work, I explored the lure of beauty. I used textiles, delicate embroidery and shimmering beadwork on brightly coloured fabric to attract and lure the viewer close to the work, much like the plant does. On closer inspection, beetle wings and pins, are found among the embroidery which may unsettle the viewer.

9. Christine Barry
Plankton Forms

Plankton Forms consists of three kiln-cast glass works, with inclusions of coloured glass and silver flakes. These pieces were inspired by scanning electron microscope images of sea plankton.
Plankton are essential to the continuation of life on the planet. They provide essential food for sea life. The health and productivity of all marine life depends on them. One group, the Phytoplankton, just like rainforests, take Greenhouse carbon dioxide gas out of the air and provide life-giving oxygen. It is estimated that half of all the oxygen on earth has been produced by these plankton.
However, plankton are under threat. They have been found to contain harmful microplastics from pollution (hence the inclusions in these glass pieces). Plankton are affected by rising sea temperatures and increasing ocean acidity. This work shows how beautiful these organisms are and the importance of caring for them.

10. Seth Geaney
Autonomous Vessel

As an artist who grew up in the countryside, moving to the cork city opened my eyes to a new urban landscape and the beauty that lies in the mundane moments the city has to offer. My work has become focused around the similarities of the visual nature of the human body and machines, as well as the implications of structures in their environment
My mediums are focused on the making, I love using lengthy processes, such as weaving, to create a canvas for sublimation printing, joining together the hand made and the technological, and my glass is made from recycled bottles, painted with black paint depict MRI’s of myself that I have edited

11. Ruta Ivanauskaite
Womb vessel- Ocarina. Holding with sound.

I continue exploring the theme of Holding, mother/child relationship, connected with my son Paul. Womb vessel is linked with a need to support and connect with my teenage son. The past traumas that are held in the womb, could transform and heal through Bao Mai, a channel connecting Heart and Womb.
Discovering that womb and throat has a direct link from an early embryonic stage development, I decided to make Ocarina flute. Playing ocarinas and engaging my son in the co creating the sounds, I am hoping for a transformative exchange and heart healing.

12. Lisa Newman
Sheer Glow

This piece is my take on a Tiffany lamp, made using sheer fabrics to mimic the look of stained glass. I’ve always loved the Victorian era, the luxury, the detail, the drama and I wanted to bring some of that into this. The floral patterns are taken from real Tiffany lamp designs, and I used soft colours and see-through materials so the light would glow through like glass. The trim at the bottom was a last touch to make it feel more finished and vintage. It’s a mix of old and new, inspired by my love of historical design but made with materials and techniques that are more me.

13. Jessica Healy Griffin
Horizon

Birds and humans have a long history of partnership. They have influenced our mythology to the point of being deeply tied to our understanding of life. Throughout my childhood I have been blessed with the opportunity to watch them. Each bird had personality, one that would charm my family into adoring them.

Like mythology, my family are tied to birds permanently.
So it has never been a surprise to me that they became a reassuring constant presence in my art.
However, I started to feel that many people are disconnected from nature. I saw people hit pigeons and call swans dirty for still having gray feathers. It’s sad to see, so I wanted to share my love for birds using art. I enjoy drawing and creating characters based on the birds in my area. I found common ground within illustration and wool in the form of tapestry weaving, as shown in this piece.

14. Claire Murphy
Tangible Curiosity

I’m interested in creating abstract pieces featuring repeating geometric patterns. I enjoy using striking, vibrant colours to explore fascinating colour relationships. I do not aim for
representation in my work; my focus is on conveying the joy of making. By investigating the
concept of childhood curiosity, I examine how precisely crafted colour, and angular forms work to animate our built environment. The idea of play is emphasised through the use of vibrant colours wrapped around these structures; symbolising building blocks stacked to form colourful
towers.

15. Alison Higgins
An alien will appear to you shortly

I am inexplicably drawn to textiles; the materiality, the softness, the relationships, and quilts have a language that feels bigger than any one person. Drawing inspiration from childhood photos and an interest in graphic design, I want to bridge the gap between my younger self and my present self. The vague, human-like figure represents a union of all my past selves; content, gentle and in touch with the body. Using text and collaged elements, I want to explore the joys and sorrows of growing up and my own ideas of the ‘inner child’.

16. Sophia Aftab
Chewing Machine

As long as there is capitalism, there is addiction.
We, as humans, cling to manufactured desire. Capitalism sells us lack, and then profits from our craving to fill it. We spend, smoke, binge, chew, scroll, repeat - numb and needing more. Addiction is not a flaw in the human soul, but the rumble of a machine that feeds on our hunger.
And sometimes, unfortunately, I get peckish.

17. Aine Sealy
Palimpsest

The ocean’s tidal zone is a shifting ground, providing a liminal space that can function at a subliminal level. I am interested in how a fluctuating unstable space can mark the beat of time. How the sea can be either a place of restoration and recovery, or a place of menace and threat. My work is concerned with the glimpsed and and barely seen forms beneath the surface.
Exploring this sense of the peripheral led to short experimental underwater films of submerged handmade textiles. Textiles often elicit tactile memories and a warm familiar response, by using them in an foreign environment they seem out of place, and flow differently under the weight of water.