“In her hands” 2025

My practice was rooted in a particular place and in the quiet, repetitive actions that often go unnoticed within it. I was especially drawn to the image of my grandmother peeling carrots each morning—an act filled with labour. This daily gesture became the centre of my project, In Her Hands, and led me to explore the idea of unnoticed labour and how repetitive movements carry meaning. I was heavily influenced by Frances Crowe, a Roscommon-based textile artist. After visiting her studio and discussing the technicalities of weaving, I gained a deeper understanding of the medium and how it could be used to communicate a narrative. I was also influenced by the work of Amanda Gizzi, which focuses on gesture, repetition, and hand movement—something I connected with through my own observations of my granny’s actions.

In my studio practice, I explored these ideas through projection, painting, printmaking, and drawing, but my main focus became textiles—specifically weaving and wool manipulation. I chose weaving because it physically mirrored the movement of peeling: the repetitive up-and-down, in-and-out gestures. I created a large-scale woven piece and two smaller weaves, each connected to the idea of gesture, rhythm, and domestic labour. I also created a digital drawing of my grandmother, an appliqué piece using fabric from my old work uniform, and experimented with natural dyeing using tea and carrots. All of these elements were presented together in my final installation to honour the emotional weight of unnoticed routines and the physical and emotional strength carried in the hands of the women who performed them.