VISUAL Centre of Contemporary Art & The George Bernard Shaw Theatre in Carlow is the Craft Hub International Craft Exhibition venue and is supported by Creative Europe & Creative Ireland. The exhibition commenced in Italy in April 2023, travelling to Greece, Germany, and Portugal, and has now arrived in Ireland!
The exhibition features work from across the whole spectrum of craft techniques and uses an anonymous selection process, giving emerging artists an equal opportunity to be selected alongside the established makers. Moving on to Wales, then Norway for the closing conference.
Craft Hub is a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme focused on Craft in the context of cultural heritage and its continuing relevance in contemporary practice.
This show is only up for a few more days – until the 3rd of September.
Feltmakers Ireland member Nicola Brown has a piece in the show.
This may be of interest to Feltmakers Ireland members/followers:
Nicola Brown and Dawn Edwards warmly invite you to participate in this year’s Felt United theme, ‘Changing Seasons, ’ through the sharing of your felt images pertaining to the theme.
The allure of nature’s changing seasons offers an endless source of inspiration…From the vibrant hues of autumn leaves to the delicate blossoms of spring, each season brings its unique magic and transformation.
Felt United is celebrated on the first Saturday in October, so this year, that falls on October 7, 2023.
Please feel free to interpret the theme in any way that you wish. We are requesting that you please include a short statement along with your photo(s). It’s always interesting for our members to hear from the artist regarding the thinking that goes into making their creations.
We look forward to seeing your felt submissions, and you may begin submitting your images as soon as your felt creation is complete.
Let your imagination bloom and embrace the enchantment of the ‘Changing Seasons’ through your felt art!
3 more Artists for you today, Fiona Leech, Nicola Brown & Tracey King. All exhibiting currently in Finland, then onward to Portumna 8th-22nd Sept as part of the Shorelines Arts Festival.
Fiona Leech
Artist – Fiona Leech
Chance
My piece was inspired (though “inspire” is perhaps the wrong word) by the recent appalling cervical smear scandal that has shaken Irish society. Women are dying needlessly in this country and women are feeling quite vulnerable relying on the health system.
I had wanted to celebrate womenhood, as “red” evokes feelings of strength,warmth,friendship,and love; but as I was working a strong sense of anger grew which I couldn’t shake. I listen to the radio a lot while I work!
The process of felt making is physical, great for anger management, while producing a softness, in contrast with the hard surfaces of a dice. It makes you want to touch….to reach out to care and nurture…..
This wall hanging marries my passions for wet felting, silviculture, eco printing and working with natural materials. I feel that it encapsulates my current textile practice, simple, natural, crafted.
Sale price. €425.00
Materials – merino, silk, tencel, and firestar.
Keep me close to your heart
A special gift for a friend, new mother or baby, to wrap them up, keep them warm and in the case of a child provide a soft safe surface to play on. It’s a token of love from me to them and a reminder for them to keep me close to their heart.
Sale price. €425.00
Materials – merino, silk, vintage Japanese kimono silk. Machine washable, bound with eucalyptus dyed vintage Japanese kimono silk.
Tracey King
Artist – Tracy King
A Little Taste of Ireland
I am interested in the old ways, the simple way people appeared to live. Inspired by my surroundings in the west of Ireland, combining the raw organic textures of wool, I create images that I would like to live in. This particular work tries to capture a living emotion of a place.
The work is made of wool from Jacob and Texel sheep. The different image elements were pre-felted before assembling the image. A small amount of wool was dyed with cochineal for the woman’s shawl, which was one of the most typical garments for Irish women in the 19th century.
Sale price. €1968.00
Materials – Jacob and Texel sheep wool
With Thanks to DCCoI for part funding the exibition.
Feltmakers Ireland 