The garden as an assemblage of vibrant material.

About Artist:

Dee Hurley is a visual artist with a BA in Contemporary Applied Art from MTU Crawford College of Art and Design. Dee joined the Sample-Studios team as Gallery Assistant in Summer 2025 and contributes to invigilation and visitor-facing services in Sample-Studios Gallery, The Lord Mayor's Pavilion. Having previously studied film production, Dee worked in set design for film and TV. She later moved to freelance art facilitation and event management including the curation of the Surface Tension Street Art Festival as part of the European Capital of Culture 2005. A period working as a bookbinder in Hubert's Bookbindery drew her back to the world of making. In 2020 the part-time art textiles course in CCAD led Dee to the artistic side of making, thinking conceptually and exploring materials, especially my fascination with botanicals. She is currently pursuing an Masters by Research in CCAD on the topic of art and ecology.

Artist Statement

My work is informed by a fascination with botanical elements. I collect and arrange until I find a way of presenting them that resonates with me. My aim is to elevate and honour the diversity and beauty of their form and structure. I use assemblage to display dynamic patterns of roots and seeds. I also enlarge images of delicate plant materials to capture the varied textures, these are then printed on up cycled textile.

My work is underscored by the sadness of biodiversity loss, and the hope that an appreciation of its wonder can prompt positive change in our world.