I have been selected as on of 30 makers who will be showing at FUSION 2024 – Biennial of Contemporary Glass Jewellery will take place from 3 April 2024 at the MAVA – Museum of Contemporary Glass Art in Alcorcón, Spain, to coincide with the European Artistic Crafts Days 2024. This is also the date when selected works will be presented on-line on WCCE and Fundesarte channels.
"Sinsearch" is a collaborative work with jeweler and goldsmith Eve Doyle. "Sinsearach" (ancestor in gaelige) is inspired by the Ór collection at the National Museum of Ireland. The artefacts in this collection are gold jewellery which date between 2200BC and 500BC. They are beautifully decorated with geometric patterns and symbols.
These repetitive symbols are found across stone work and clay pieces from this period in Ireland and western Europe. They are present even on the early sites such as Newgrange, where they appear on the famous entrance stones. It is thought that this ancient visual language reflected the divinity of more-than-human nature and a deep connection to the changing seasons.
This collar is a modern reimagining of a “lunulae”, an iconic crescent-shaped neckpiece. More than 100 are known from western Europe, of which more than 80 were found in Ireland.
“Sinsearach” meditates on our connection to an ancestorial past of craft making. It is a reminder of a way of life since past where we lived in sync with the rhythm of the natural world.
The piece combines pâte de verre with fine sterling silver. It is a meeting point for our two aesthetic styles and learned skills.
