The 04 Textile Group is a collective of eight textile artists based in Dublin and Wicklow, who have been exhibiting together since 2004.
Members work in a variety of contemporary and traditional textile forms, using a range of techniques and a broad mix of materials. They are passionate about the potential and wonder of working with textiles and are delighted to have the opportunity to share their work at Signal Arts Centre in Bray.
This current exhibition, ’04 – 24 Lasting Impressions,’ is a retrospective glance at some of the work previously exhibited over the last two decades. It will also include work created specifically for this exhibition.
04 Textile Group Members:
Jane Enticknap
Tess Flynn
Anne Jeffares
Brid McCabe
Deirdre Moriarty
Sidella O’Brien
Mary O’Reilly
Colleen Prendiville
Sheelagh Rooney
Opening Reception: Thursday 18th April, 7pm to 9pm
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Unravel, a significant group exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery features 50 international, intergenerational artists who use textiles to communicate vital ideas about power, resistance, and survival. From intimate hand-crafted pieces to monumental sculptural installations, these works offer narratives of violence, imperialism and exclusion alongside stories of resilience, love and hope.
The exhibition includes the work of several well-known artists, such as Faith Ringgold, Judy Chicago, Tracey Emin, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Louise Bourgeois, and Cecilia Vicuña, alongside less well-known creatives. (Interestingly, Vicuña frequently creates large installations with lengths of narrow wool roving.)
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Elaine Peden demonstrating at Bloom 2023 in Phonix Park
Today’s post was written by longtime member and former Guild chair Breda Fay.
What a brilliant start to 2024 with the January Sunday Session – a warm welcome from the committee to an eclectic group – FI members from more than 20 years ago, newbies (one who only arrived in Eire in the last week), and the rest of us.
Elaine Peden treated us to a journey through her creative life. Elaine, who is a nurse, a profession where rules and regulations, timetables and schedules are so important, began her story with how she found the craft of jewellery making. She relished the idea of turning myriads of little beads into a necklace or brooch. She was soon involved in craft fairs, where her work was well received. The confidence gained from this was all important, as Elaine described the confidence needed to become truly creative. “Letting yourself go”, being prepared to enjoy a process rather than having an end product in mind is so liberating.
Wearable Art
It was on a walk through the Phoenix Park that Elaine discovered feltmaking – at the little studio at the Knockmaroon Gate where Sunday Sessions used to be held. Her inquisitive nature caused her to explore where a group of women carrying boxes and bags might be going on a Sunday morning! She was welcomed with open arms. Elaine warmed immediately to this new form of creating and to the makers who willingly shared their skills. Again, it was about transformations that occurred during the process – how wool fibres became a fabric that draped gracefully or held a strong structure depending on the process. It was the 3D structures that particularly interested Elaine, and she honed her craft through attendance at a wide range of Master Classes. While feltmaking required lots of hard physical work, Elaine felt it suited her better than the close, confined work of jewellery making.
More Art
Elaine always had an interest in “found things”, in using things again, in recycling. This interest was accommodated when she joined Element15 in Kildare, a group of individual artists who were developing their own practices, each distinct but also connected. Element 15 artists’ roots were in textiles but evolved to include different materials and processes. Their connection with nature particularly appealed to Elaine, and with great enthusiasm, she looked at making structures that would survive (or might be transformed) in the outdoors. Her description of Mr. Crow and Mr. Deer’s placement in the valley of Jimi Blake’s garden outside Blessington was inspiring.
Mr. Crow – sculpture by Elaine Peden.
Elaine had a range of samples of her work, including Mr. Crow in his gentleman’s jacket and hat. We were able to touch and photograph for future inspiration. Her witty delivery of the topic, including her mention of some of the “disasters”* of her work, was so entertaining that we could still be there listening and giggling.
Three Dimensional Art
Over the years, Elaine has taken many workshops. One of the courses focused on bootmaking. Below is a photo of Breda’s boots, which Elaine humorously referred to in her presentation. Elaine made hers in an uncooperative orange-coloured wool. Her boots are the only piece that she has ever tossed!
The Boots!
Well done, Elaine! And FI committee for a lively Sunday Session. Also, thanks to new guild member Eva Salamon for allowing us to use some of her photographs.
This Sunday, long-time guild member Elaine Peden will share her artwork for our first session of the year.
Elaine is a mixed media, process-led artist who aims to put sustainable practice at the centre of her making.
In her previous works, she used mainly wool fibre as her medium, creating 3D sculptures, wall art, and wearables. Currently, Elaine incorporates found objects, such as timber, rust, and dead stock fabrics, with stitching to create her mixed media pieces.
Please bring a home-baked treat to share with the Sunday Session. There is a member contribution of 5 euros to cover the coffee/tea/hall rental.
Members who cannot attend in person can use the Zoom link, which will be emailed on Friday or Saturday before the session. If the tech elves cooperate, the session will be recorded and will later be uploaded to our YouTube Channel.
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.
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The World of Threads Festival near Toronto, Canada, features 426 artworks by 115 artists from the following countries: Canada, England, Finland, France, Hungary, India, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Uruguay, USA, US Virgin Islands, and Wales.
The show has Synchronistic Curating. This means that each new festival is a blank slate. Shows develop entirely out of the submissions received. This year’s Festival includes multiple exhibitions, including several solo exhibitions,installations, wearables, Covid-inspired art, and more.
The Festival runs until the 17th of December. UPDATE: The Festival has been extended to the 14th of January.
browngrotta arts is a leading contemporary art gallery specializing in international art textiles, fibre sculpture, ceramics, and mixed media.
Representing many of the artists who have helped define modern fibre art since the 1950s, the gallery reflects the aesthetic and advocacy of its co-curators, husband-and-wife team, Tom Grotta and Rhonda Brown. Museum-quality artworks by more than 100 artists from 25 countries are represented through gallery exhibitions, art fairs, co-partnerships with museums and retail spaces, and an online gallery.
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.
Sheila Hicks, photographed at her studio in Paris on June 21, 2023.Credit…Antoine Henault
In September, New York Times Style Magazine wrote about ‘Fiber Art is Finally Being Taken Seriously.’ In the article, the writer, Julia Halperin, features 20th-century and contemporary artists working in the medium of textiles and discusses some of the historical perspectives about textiles being art.
‘The Fibre of Our Being‘ is a series of events exploring contemporary textiles which draw on tradition to reinvigorate their process. It will encompass an exhibition of the same title displaying a wide variety of contemporary Irish Textiles and two full weekends of events and workshops that will allow people to learn techniques in dyeing and crafting with textiles.
The highlight will be a day with talks and displays about the source of our fibres and Irish wool production, with displays from small businesses looking to find new ways to use our indigenous materials sustainably. We will finish with an alternative fashion show in the lively cultural hub of Levis Bar in Ballydehob, Co. Cork.
The event runs from the 12th through the 10th of September.
On Sunday the 27th, there is a talk about Irish Wool, including sheep breeds, processing, history and the need to bring back its value, by Fibreshed Ireland member Kit Christina Keawwantha and other panel guests. Booking is needed for this (and other) events.
Feltmakers Ireland 