A short Saturday morning bit of inspiration for you – two more sneak peeks from the upcoming Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’.
Claire Merry’s inspiration –
“The hare has been one of Ireland’s oldest symbols, dating back to the ancient Celts. It was seen as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, and was often depicted in Celtic art and mythology. The Irish Free State commemorated the hare on the first three penny piece coins.”
Irina Lampadova’s inspiration –
“I have decided to make a sheep adorned with shamrocks because these symbols of Ireland appeal to my emotions. They are my first memories of Ireland when I came here years ago. Beautiful and comforting green fields with sheep and cows made me feel welcome. It was a nice beginning of my new journey in life.”
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Siobhan Healy Ryan ‘Limestone footpath Mullaghmore-The Burren’
Sorry to post twice a day, but we wish to share many exciting events AND our upcoming exhibition!
The Open Call
Earlier in the year, our members were asked to share his or her inspiration to the theme ‘Symbols of Ireland’. We invited guild members to explore and interpret the rich cultural and historical imagery associated with Ireland. The theme was open to various representations, including traditional symbols, as well as more contemporary or personal expressions of Irish identity, landscape, folklore, and heritage. Artists were encouraged to present works that reflected their unique perspective on Ireland’s symbolic landscape through visual, conceptual, or abstract forms. Our open call welcomed all artistic styles and interpretations from our members.
Sneak Peek
One artist worked abstractly, while the other took a representational approach to capturing Ireland’s natural beauty. This evening, we are featuring Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann’s My View of Ireland and Siobhan Healy Ryan’s Limestone Footpath, Mullaghmore—The Burren. Both pieces explore elements of the Irish landscape, each through a unique lens.
Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann’s inspiration –
“I chose an abstract form to express my work, by using Galway Irish Wool and old Irish Linen pieces to show my impression of Ireland and its untouched nature!
The sky with its constant changes, light refraction from yellow to red-orange.
Moorland with its rich brown-black colours gradations interrupted by peat, rushes and flowers with “cotton blossom”,
Heather and broom brushes that blend into the landscape with their play of colours and stones that tell of their past, and touched my soul!
So, here I`m telling my story with sixteen tiles.”
Astrid’s work can be found in the following locations online:
“The Burren’s iconic limestone footpath is symbolic of Irish generations past and the weathering endured during the Ice Age. The majestic mountain at Mullaghmore stands proud over this rugged limestone landscape that continues to endure yet shift and evolve.” – Siobhan Healy Ryan
We will continue sharing our members’ inspiring contributions to our exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
‘Learning Old Tricks from Ancient Sheep’ is a one-day exhibition of two designers’ residencies with the Galway Wool Co-op.
Fabienne Rako and Annika Joachim invite you to their exhibition ‘Learning Old Tricks from Ancient Sheep’, which they are presenting in cooperation with the Galway Wool Co-Op. Together with Galway Wool, they aim to elaborate on the various applications in which all parts of the sheep’s wool can be properly utilised.
Within their two-week residency with the Co-op, they explored the potential of noil, a short fibre by-product of worsted spinning, to create unique, textured garments. Their work will showcase noil’s potential beyond waste, transforming it into high-quality, contemporary Irish textiles.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition opens this Sunday! We are thrilled to announce that Sabina Higgins will officially launch the event at 3 PM.
For this year’s exhibition theme, ‘Symbols of Ireland’, we invited members to explore and interpret it in their own unique way. The exhibition showcases a diverse and inspiring collection of wall art, sculptures, and wearable pieces—all crafted from sheep’s wool. The works feature a variety of felting techniques, including wet felting, needle felting, and even combinations of both, highlighting the creativity and skill of our members.
We are especially delighted to see a growing use of Irish wool, a cause close to our hearts. In fact, our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, was born from our passion for this remarkable sustainable material.
To whet your appetite for the exhibition, we continue on sharing some Sneak Peeks!
Sneak Peeks
A close-up of Anne Heavey‘s piece – ‘Fadó Fadó’
Anne was inspired by the following:
“A look back into Ireland’s past through the eyes of the Dolmen. Ancient structures that date back to the Neolithic period, 4000 BC to 2500 BC. This ancient symbol represents the history of the Irish people emerging from hunter-gatherers to a more permanent settled life. Agriculture and the domestication of animals emerged, along with the construction of these dolmens, mostly used as burial tombs, while others were part of a territorial marker. Under 200 dolmens remain dotted around Ireland, and were immersed into Irish mythological stories and folklore, such as Diarmuid and Grainne’s bed, whereas others are associated with graves of famous giants or warriors such as the Finna and Fionn Mac Cunhall.
The most famous and photographed is the Poulnabrone, Burren Co Clare; the largest is Brownshill, Co Carlow. These structures were usually erected with tall portal stones in the front and two at the back, with a large capstone resting at an angle on the portal stones. In ancient times, cairns would have been erected in front of the entrance, but now have been scattered over time. A picture at the Burren with my mom inspired me to use this symbol.”
A close-up of the piece by Helena Mc Guinness – ‘Round Tower’
Helena was inspired by the following:
“I live in the village with the oldest Round Tower in Ireland. A visitors centre has been built on the grounds just behind the tower. It has a lovely garden and a house showcasing the area’s history. It is in the village of Clondalkin, Dublin 22. It is well worth a visit.”
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
A sneak peek of Breda Fay’s ‘Anois Teacht an Earraigh / It’s springtime‘
Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition will open in less than a week, and we are so excited. There are almost 50 pieces of artwork (47, to be precise) from our members.
The theme of this year’s show is ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Guild member Breda Fay has created her piece inspired by Brigid’s Crosses, which are traditionally made from rush materials.
Here is her inspiration:
“The feast of Brigid is an important date in my calendar, not just because she’s my namesake but because February 1st, her Feast Day, heralds the beginning of Springtime with lengthening brighter days. For as long as I can remember, I have made Brigid’s Crosses from rushes gathered the day before, and one has hung in a prominent place in my home”. – Breda Fay
The exhibition opens on Sunday, the 2nd of March at 3 PM. Sabina Higgins will officially launch* the show. {For those living outside of Ireland, Mrs Higgins is the spouse of the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins}.
The exhibition runs from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Currently, the Visitor Centre – and hence the Gallery – is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. If Centre staff become available, we may be able to open the exhibition on these days. Stay tuned to our blog and social media for further updates.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
The ‘Cinematic Thread: from Screen to Craft’ exhibition highlights the talents of 17 practitioners from the Made in Wicklow platform. Working in collaboration with the Irish Costume Archive Project (ICAP), each maker has created an original piece inspired by a costume from iconic films and television series. Their creations—jewellery, ceramics, textiles, and metalwork—are displayed alongside the costumes.
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Sharon Wells has a piece in the exhibition.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Sometimes, one wishes there was a form of magical travel so that one could instantly zip over to visit all the interesting exhibitions happening in places other than where one lives. Here are six that look interesting!
‘Costures Invisibles: Una Perspectiva Del Tèxtil Contemporani’
What: ‘Invisible Stitches: A Perspective on Contemporary Textiles’ – Weaving narratives with invisible threads, this exhibition explores the emotional connections, aesthetic textures and curious phenomena between the physical and the intangible in our modern world.
Where: Centre Cívic Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain.
What: “Discover the rich and complex lives of women in the Middle Ages, with over 140 extraordinary items that reveal their artistry, resourcefulness, courage and struggles.”
What: “The exhibition presents the work of Stephen Jones, a British designer who, since his first collections in the 1980s to the most recent, is recognized by celebrities and fashion designers alike as one of the greatest contemporary milliners.”
What: “Enter the breathtaking world of SHAPE! In this fashion exhibition, you will wander past surreal, futuristic, seductive looks inspired by the human body and question beauty ideals. Through these designs, explore the body’s malleability and the creation of identity through textiles and fashion.”
What: “Flowers have, throughout history, inspired artists, writers and creatives. FLOWERS – FLORA IN CONTEMPORARY ART & CULTURE seeks to reveal the myriad ways that flowers continue to be depicted by artists and their omnipresence within our contemporary culture. Occupying two floors and over nine major gallery spaces, this exhibition features large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion, archival objects and graphic design exploring the ongoing influence of flowers on creativity and human expression.”
‘Textile Manifestos—From Bauhaus to Soft Sculpture’
What: From geometrically ordered weavings in two dimensions to free forms in space: the exhibition shows anonymous pieces side by side with well-known positions, resulting in some surprising adjacencies of comparable perspectives from different periods.
Where: Museum für Gestaltung,in Zürich, Switzerland.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Poster of ‘Botanica’ the current members’ exhibition of the Cork Textiles Network.
The Cork Textiles Network (CTN) has launched its annual member exhibition, ‘Botanica’. Each year, members come together to start their year with an exhibition of works that showcase the vast array of textile mediums used to create extraordinary works of inspiring art.
The Design Crafts Council of Ireland and Cork City Libraries kindly supported the exhibition, which will run in the Bishopstown Library, Wilson, Cork City.
When: The show runs until February 28th, 2025, and can be viewed for free during library opening times (10 AM—5:30 PM, Monday through Saturday).
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
The Poster for Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition in March.
Feltmakers Ireland is delighted to present ‘Symbols of Ireland’, a group exhibition celebrating the country’s rich cultural heritage through the art of felt. Sabina Higgins will officially launch* the exhibition on Sunday, the 2nd of March, at 3 PM.
This showcase explores Ireland’s iconic imagery and deep-rooted traditions through the versatile medium of wool—ranging from imported Merino fibre to locally raised Irish wool. Featuring an array of techniques, including wet felting and needle felting, members of Feltmakers Ireland have created striking three-dimensional sculptures, wall art, and wearable pieces, each offering a unique interpretation of Irish symbolism.
The exhibition runs from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Please note: the Centre is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. (This may change if there is an increase in staffing. We will know more by the middle of the month).
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
‘Timelines Growth and Catastrophe’ is a collaboration between eight contemporary Irish tapestry weavers. It showcases one large tapestry and eight individual works. The artists are the following: Muriel Beckett, Tish Canniffe, Pascale De Coninck, Frances Crowe, Lorna Donlon, Terry Dunne, Catherine Ryan, and Heather Underwood.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
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