My work is primarily produced within the physical structure of traditional tapestry weaving. While visually abstract the work is as close as possible to a literal interpretation of what is in my head. Material such as metal and barbed wire symbolise aspects of the themes I explore and respond to. For the past 25 years these have been a combination of conflict, communication and interconnection. The use of metal barbs in the weaving prompted by my formative years growing up in Northern Ireland during the troubles.

Since I started using these materials I have found my approach to designing changed dramatically. My ‘drawing’ becoming three dimensional with ideas tried out using wire and mesh and woven samples. While working towards a final piece my design development has become much more intuitive and in the past few years some of the tapestries have included audio as a thematic accompaniment or an interactive option.

The Tenses tapestries, Dialogue and Conflicting Arguments all reference conflict, rising tensions and the precariousness of communication, particularly during times of conflict, both political and personal. 

Other work is more personal in nature, Metamorphosis in particular. This piece was made in response to the death of both my parents in 2018 and is a reaction to the conversations I had with my mother during their last year, my father unable to communicate following a severe stroke.

My most recent tapestry, “Collapsing Perspective” is primarily about  movement and loss of cohesion.  The distortion and imbalance in the design, along with the missing vanishing point, lead to questions about the destination, wherever that may be. Time is an element of the design - whether the movement is towards the future or the past is for the viewer to decide.

As with much of my work since 1998, the design is intuitive and has been developed over time with developments and adjustments being made as the weaving progressed.

The tapestry is woven in parallel strips of weaving but hangs as a single piece.

My intention in the future is to extend and develop the theme of communication and experiment further with alternative materials and audio.

Enquiries welcome.

Some of these tapestries can also be bought quickly and easily through Etsy.