Tag: Niki Collier

Of Interest: Niki Collier – Legend of Oengus and Caer – Installation and Video for OPW Newgrange Winter Solstice

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Dr Niki Collier, a visual artist and long lover of creating with wool, was commissioned by The Office of Public Works (OPW) to produce an installation and video about the legend of Oengus and Caer for the Winter Solstice at Newgrange. The work is part of the ongoing explorations of Symbols of Mobility and the performers wore unique nuno felted wings that Dr. Collier developed, informed by the legend of Oengus and Caer.

The Legend of Oengus and Caer

“The great love story of Oengus Óg and Caer is associated with Newgrange, known as The Dream of Oengus.

Oengus begins to dream of a woman he has never met, and his sleeping moments are spent yearning for Caer, who takes the form of a swan. He goes in search of her for a year and, upon finding her, decides to become a swan in order to be with her. The lovers fly off together towards Brú na Bóinne, the home of Oengus Óg ancestral”.

https://youtu.be/2XGM_igIMIk

Contributors

  • Producer & Director: Dr Niki Collier
  • Video & Editing: Vilmar: Alastair Roe, Kris Wieclawcki, Ian Smolorz
  • Dancers: Mia DiChiaro and Yves Lorrhan
  • Special thanks to Mary Heffernan, Head of National Monuments Ireland, OPW.

The Video

The Legend of Oengus and Caer – Installation and Video for OPW Newgrange Winter Solstice

To learn more about this art, visit Dr Collier’s website – https://www.nikicollier.com/the-legend-of-oengus-and-caer/

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Events: Irish Design Week Returns

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The Design and Craft Council of Ireland (DCCI) have curated a week-long of activities for Irish Design Week, which runs from Monday, the 13th through Friday, the 17th of November.

Here are all the listings happening within Dublin. – https://www.dcci.ie/events/?county_id=1436&start_date=&end_date=&category_id=1526

However, this year, there is lots to do beyond Dublin.

Visit their website to explore the offerings and reserve tickets. – https://www.dcci.ie/whats-on/irish-design-week/programme-2023/

Textile-related Events

Here are some of the events that have a focus on textiles:
On Tuesday in Sligo, there is a presentation on historical costume narratives. – https://www.dcci.ie/events/costume-narratives/

On Thursday at NCAD, there is an exhibition and panel discussion with NeoMateria on the subject of human hair. –
https://www.dcci.ie/events/neomateria-exhibition-and-panel-discussion/

On Thursday in Dublin, there is a presentation on historical trades –
https://www.dcci.ie/events/industrial-and-craft-design-in-dublin-in-the-20th-century/

On Wednesday and Thursday in Marlay Park, Dublin, Feltmakers Ireland member Niki Collier unveils a new body of work incorporating felt and discarded medical equipment. – https://www.dcci.ie/events/niki-collier-bodily-shelters/

On Friday in Dublin, Fibreshed Ireland is hosting a conference on ‘Resilient, regional and reciprocal: How tradition can inform the future of Irish textiles’. – https://www.dcci.ie/events/resilient-regional-and-reciprocal-how-tradition-can-inform-the-future-of-irish-textiles/

Exhibition: Leitrim Design House Show – 2 Weeks Only

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The Leitrim Design House National Design, Craft & Art Awards 2023 exhibition is up for two weeks only. The show includes the two winners and ten shortlisted applicants. Feltmakers Ireland member Niki Collier is one of the shortlisted applicants.

The Leitrim Design House National Craft & Design Award (€2,500) is presented for the best overall submission. The winner of this award will have a solo exhibition in 2024. A specially commended prize (€1,000) is awarded to the runner-up.

The award’s winner is Tracy Fry, and a specially commended prize went to runner-up Richard West.

These national awards celebrate excellence in craftsmanship and are born out of the organisation’s sustainability as a business during the past two decades.

There is a video on Facebook that includes the work of the winners and shortlisted applicants – https://www.facebook.com/reel/1020858135737527

Tracy Fry and Richard West, winner and runner-up to the Leitrim Design House Sustainability Prize.

Event: Week-Long Textile Journey Festival

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The Textile Journey Festival is a celebration of creativity and all things wool and textile.

It includes a variety of events: a summer camp, daily textile demonstrations, a materials and tools exchange, open studios & workshops.

The festival is an invitation to everyone: come and try making or exploring textiles.

Laying wool roving for wet felting

Includes the Annual Exhibition of Textile Journey Group.

Daily Demonstrations will showcase the skills of Irish textile artists: Cosima Malloy, Helen Crawford, Jane Fox, Mary Palmer, Kim Lin Morris, Rachel McKinney, Aine Dunne, Suzanne Duke, Patricia O’Connor and Niki Collier.

The event runs from the 31st of July to the 6th of August at The Orangery, Marlay Park, Dublin.

For more information, visit the website: https://textilejourney.ie/2023/05/11/textile-journey-festival-2023/

News: Contemporary Felt – Niki Collier Residency at IMMA

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Feltmaker Ireland member Dr Niki Collier has been invited to develop a series of engagements at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA).

The residency involves Niki’s practice by connecting her work to IMMA’s collections and current exhibitions.

Using the ancient craft of wool we would start the quest for identity – ours and that of our immediate circle of friends and family. How do we curate identity in the era of constant self-expression and fierce curation of narrative?

Dr Niki Collier

Join Niki Collier for this fun workshop for children and adults while viewing our photography exhibition ‘Influence and Identity’, Twentieth Century Portrait Photography from the Bank of America Collection.

The first workshop was on the 15th of June, but there are several more upcoming. Please keep an eye out on Niki’s Instagram – @nikicollierfelt.

The workshops are free, but booking is essential. There is also a drop-in on Sundays, so if you are free, come by at 2 PM.

Book the workshops on IMMA Outdoors – https://imma.ie/whats-on/imma-outdoors-2023-workshops/

Felt Stained Glass Exhibition awarded a Culture Ireland award to travel for Vienna

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By Niki Collier:

Visual Artist Niki Collier awarded @CultureIreland support to curate a show at Gallery Kabllo, Vienna, in Austria from 15th September to 6th October  in her newly developed technique Felt Stained Glass.
The technique which started as an attempt to keep spirits up during the first lockdown has captured the imagination of artists across the globe and has avalanched to a movement bringing artists together. 20 of the most interesting contemporary fibre artists will be on show to the discerning Viennese audience from 15th September to 6th October. The artist are from across the globe- UK, USA, Japan, Germany, France and Ireland.

The exhibition also features the ever-growing community panel of over 100 pieces developed through online and in person classes. The panel features artists of all ages- the youngest participant is 7 and the oldest is 80. Some are influential makers, some have made felt for the first time through this project.

Artist Catherine Stebinger, USA, Le Mont Saint Michel at Sunset SM
Artist Joanne Turner, Ireland Knowledge

Niki says that the award is not just a moment in her practice  but a milestone –  one of those true-life lessons. .She was often reminded through her practice to curb her enthusiasm- it is just a bit of craft and it would not have the reach of “Actual Art”. People warn her work would never be supported by the likes of #cultureireland . The support is proof that the work has merit beyond the medium in which it is made.

The exhibition celebrates a new technique in this medium. The felt stained glass technique is founded on the contrasting forces in nature: from chaos to structure and from destruction to mending. The world is broken and chaos shadows all aspects of our lives. As humanity we are not new to this, but as a generation, we needed re-assurance that it will pass and that all aspects of healing are meaningful. The technique is simple: create a fabric out of fibres, cut it into pieces and put it back together using embellishing to celebrate the places of mending. It is all done in the ancient textile making medium of felt.

Artist Susanne Webber , Austria, Roaming the Ocean

The technique saw evolution in the three years that it has been used. Many beginners discovered felt making through it. It also ignited the creative juices of artists from around the globe and some of the most interesting fiber artists have contributed to this exhibition. The exhibition is going to Vienna after reportedly the most successful show at Pearse Museum in a decade.

The work in this engagement was supported by DCCI, OPW, CI.

It has been covered in almost every international magazine on felt.

Read more:

Felt Stained Glass @ Gallery Kabllo, Vienna, Austria 2022 | Niki Collier Textiles & Art

Felt Stained Glass International Exhibition @ The Pearse Museum | Niki Collier Textiles & Art

Open Call: Evie & Us Exhibition 2021 | Niki Collier Textiles & Art


Join Niki Collier  at the launch Facebook Live 6pm GMT Thursday 15th September !
@nikicollierfelt

Artist Fiona McKenna, Ireland, Design Circle Self Portrait

A couple of upcoming Exhibitions

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

#1

Felted Stained Glass Exhibition Programme @ Pearse Museum

Felt Stained Glass International Fibre Art Exhibition,

With community installation of pieces from all over the world by artists of all ages,

Curated by Dr. Niki Collier and Brian Crowley,

on Saturday 23 April at 3pm

at Pearse Museum, Grange Road, Dublin 16, D16 Y7Y5

The exhibition will be officially opened by  Liz Nilsson, one of the 50 Irish Craft Heroes.

The exhibition runs 14th April – 26th June

RSVP pearsemuseum@opw.ie

#2

#3

EMERGENCE at Walters in Dun Laoghaire

We invite you to celebrate EMERGENCE – ArtNetdlr Exhibition Launch this Thursday 14 April, with ArtNetdlr friends & artists, and all creative community of Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown, and a JAZZ Quintet. Emergence, a group exhibition curated by invited artists Jay Murphy and Louise Neiland, featuring the work of over seventy artists from dlr is now on view at Walters. You can also explore and buy artwork online.

Members Annika Berglund and Niki Collier included in exhibition.

Keep well campaign- Liadian de Butlear

Published on by Feltmakers Ireland

Back in February my phone rang, and it was a call from a fellow Feltmaker, who I have always enjoyed working with in CRAFTed over the years but we never actually worked together. She told me she had received funding as part of the Keep Well campaing and wanted to get a group of like-minded felters together for a collaborative project.

I was feeling the post Christmas lockdown and told her that I felt I was creatively stuck in a rut and would be delighted to get on board and do a collaborative project.

Nikki put our dream team together.  The idea was that we would each present an hour-long workshop working on different stages of the felting process to create stained glass effect felt pieces which would be exhibited later in the year. Niki went about advertising the free workshops and they were oversubscribed in a day leading to further workshops.

Fox by Breda Fay

Caolfhionn got the tough job of hosting the first workshop which shows how to create prefelts and blending colours to create your fabric for your picture. Niki did the design layout for our work and I got the job to do the stained glass effect dry felting work.

Each class had 35 participants and we did three classes each to facilitate the large numbers in our groups. We also supported each other during the workshops which was fantastic and made it a lot easier.

I was delighted to find that Breda Fay who was a long-time student of mine when I did workshops in Johnstown Craftspun yarns is now the treasurer of Feltmakers Ireland and she was attending the three-part workshop. It was great to see familiar faces on the screen. The best part about the project was the collaborative process and having the support of fellow felt makers and being able to bounce ideas off each other.

We have set up further classes in May and August this year which will be either online of face to face, depending on where we are.

We also have an exhibition to look forward to: online in August and physical in October and we look forward to inviting back participants to celebrate their feltmaking.

Felt with Us and Keep Well

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Felt with Us and Keep Well-

Workshops are being offered by 3 experienced Feltmakers- made possible by funding received from DCCI under the keep well initiative.

Classes will be taught by Caoilfionn Murphy O’Hanlon, Niki Collier & Liadain De Buitlear

Have you tried the Stained Glass technique in felting?
Join your tutors for three online classes to try felting, spark your passion for fibres and discover a fun
technique for making colourful pictures in felt.

All materials included.


This project was made possible with funding from DCCI under the Keep Well initiative.
See details here:


28th Feb 11am -12 noon Making a Felt Picture with Caóilfíonn Murphy O’Hanlon

7th Mar 11am – 12 noon Patchwork Felt Niki Collier

14th Mar 11am – 12 noon Making a Stained Glass Finish on a Felt Picture Liadain de Buitlear

To book classes, go here https://www.nikicollier.com/keep-well-campaign

After the workshops you will be able to submit your piece for an exhibition called Evie and Us.
Deadline for submission 1 st September. Exhibition will launch 1 st October 2021.

Felt in Arts Review Ireland? Woo Hoo

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We are delighted to share that  our own Niki Collier ( link :https://www.facebook.com/nikicollierfelt/) solo exhibition has been reviewed in the portfolio section of Irish Arts review. winter edition. Her solo show Viruses runs from 5th Nov 20 – 22nd Jan 21 at University of Atypical (https://universityofatypical.org/gallery/)
Here is how Niki describes her fate as a virus veteran:

How did I get infatuated with the bugs?

The sculptures are the culmination of a conversation in wool which started for myself a decade ago and somehow to my overwhelming sadness brought the whole world to a standstill in 2020. The dichotomy between function and form in viruses is commonly our immediate response. How something so cute and small (in our eyes) could do so much damage to us. To Us?! To Humans?! Often when fear and darkness overwhelm us we ask the wrong questions, don’t we?

 My life experiences have made me ask a different question. 

Are we the measure to all? As humans we have the weakness to put ourselves in the centre of the universe. It is heart wrenching to try grasping the idea that more often than not we are part of the universe., an organism in nature, not the centre of it. So the bugs that are bugging us have brought me humility and their impact on my life- a constant reminder of this eye opening perspective to our self proclaimed hierarchy.

There were those who were unfamiliar with Niki’s life who expressed disgust in her practice. She hopes that this interview for RTE Culture File would make them hear her point of view (https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/lyric/21872327)You can see a virtual tour of the exhibition, created by Niki’s 11 year old daughter Tanya here ( https://www.artsteps.com/view/5face75aad03cf068775e86d ).Make sure to leave a comment in support of Tanya’s effort.
Niki knows that things are tough so  is having a craft kits give away for those who need a sparkle of joy for Christmas.You can claim yours here (link https://www.nikicollier.com/christmas-craft-gift/)
niki socialInsta : @nikicollierfeltFB: @nikicollierfeltwww.nikicollier.com