Ciara Connolly

Ciara Connolly, a first-class honours graduate in Textile Design, explores art heritage, biodiversity, and place. Her creative process, deeply intertwined with her role as an educator, invites viewers into her decision-making journey, allowing them to imagine the evolution of her work. Ciara often shares her early sketches, describing the act of viewing as the 'finishing action' of her art.

Her practice involves translating sights into patterns, using painting as a tool to work out textures and stitches for her textiles. Over time, her preparatory pieces have become standalone works, revealing the struggle between experience and expression. Influenced by her County Waterford roots, her work recalls family landscapes and memories, capturing the textures of a partially remembered past.

Working with repurposed fabrics and threads, Ciara imagines the familiar yet shifting landscapes of her heritage. Her work honours traditional female crafts, where stitching has historically marked milestones and preserved stories. With techniques like blanket stitch and french knots, she creates images of moons, shells, and vessels that evoke care and connection to the land. Her work celebrates women’s artistry and the balance between nature and those who shape it.