Ciara O’Connor
Ciara O’Connor
Ciara O’Connor is an Irish visual artist who works in a combination of free motion embroidery, hand stitch and raw-edged applique. Ciara studied Fine Art in Galway, Ireland and spent many years travelling before settling in Brooklyn, NYC. This nomadic life contributed to her fascination with identity and belonging. She also consciously aligns her practise with feminist themes and seeks to create art that generates positive social shift.
Since returning to her practise in 2019 she has had work selected for Pluid Project, Dublin, 2021, Insta-Expo in Kenmare Buttermarket, 2022, The Summer Open at The Courthouse Gallery 2022, received funding from Fingal County Council and has recently completed a residency in Tyrone Guthrie Centre.
Her first solo show will open in Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford, on 6 August 2022.
Words by Ciara O’Connor, Photography by Lynda Kenny @visualfeasts
“As I sew, I am aware of my actions mirroring those of my mother and grandmother and I relish the connection. I wonder how they would feel to know that I am now using sewing as a vessel to tell our stories. ”
My parents are from Kerry in the south of Ireland. They were living in Glasgow, Scotland, when I was born. They already had four kids and legend has it that the night before my mother was due to go in for a hysterectomy my father turned around to her and said, “Sure what’d be wrong with one more?”. I was born later that year and within a few years we had moved back to Ireland, settling in Dublin.
Like most kids I loved to draw. When I was four years old, I entered a colouring competition and won first prize, a giant hand painted easter egg. It was presented to me by a famous Irish television presenter. I can remember the pride in my mother’s face. What was curious to me was that the entry that won (for I had hedged my bets with several entries) was one that I thought I had ruined. I had filled the sky with little V shaped birds, a la Alfred Hitchcock. Looking back that was probably one of my first indications that there is value in being different.
Combination of hand stitch and free motion embroidery.
When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had always told them I was going to be an artist, but I really struggled in art college. This was partly due to undiagnosed depression and partly due to my mistaken belief that to be a good artist I had to be a good painter. Little did I know I simply hadn’t discovered the right medium.
I travelled a lot over the years. I found it hard to settle but whenever I did, I would inevitably find myself drawn to some sort of creative process. In New Zealand I painted props on a movie set and made questionable beaded jewellery. In New York I dabbled in millinery and photography, learned the fundamentals of silversmithing, and I would dip in and out of life drawing sessions in a basement on Spring St.
‘Mo Cairde Fabraice’ translates from Gaeilge to ‘Fabric Friends’
My first child was born the year my mother died. We got to be in Ireland with her for her final months and within a year after she died made the decision to come home indefinitely. Embroidery came into my life as something fuss free and accessible to do while my son was so young. Minimal space and equipment and could be easily put down, it was perfect. My first piece was a pink grapefruit that I made for a good friend. It was clunky and I would do it all so differently now, but straight away I fell in love with my new tools and was set about getting to know them.
My lack of sewing skill served me well as it was through my mistakes I realised the potential for mark making and hence began to develop my own style.
It was through Instagram that I first discovered free motion embroidery. As much as I love the meditative nature of slow stitching, the instant gratification greatly appealed to me. I had only ever used a sewing machine for simple projects like curtains and very basic cushion covers but I decided to give it a go.
I work from both sides of the fabric. With free motion embroidery I work from the underside of the fabric, the opposite side of the image. This way I have greater control of mark making. For example, if I want clean, straight lines I sew at a steady pace and keep the fabric moving evenly. For more expressive lines I might increase the speed but keep the fabric stationary, or alternate speeds. I’ll often go back in then to highlight areas with hand stitch, working from the other side of the fabric.
“Some stitches are to fortify, some are to protect, and some of them house secrets. But every stitch and fabric choice are considered.”
- Ciara O’Connor
I came back to my practice without any real plan. I kept putting one foot in front of the other and with the help of some gentle nudging from my partner, Alan, I began quietly putting myself out there. I started a social media account to encourage myself to keep making work and it was through this that I was approached to do my first show. I immediately knew what I wanted to do and so I realised that my subconscious had been at play the whole time. I decided to approach the show as if I may never get the opportunity again and in doing so leave nothing on the floor. It had to mean something. The work is based around themes of consent and is the most therapeutic thing I’ve ever done.
The pandemic caused me to re-examine everything. It helped me to peel back the layers and see who I truly am now rather than adhering to this image I had of myself. What excites and inspires me now has changed dramatically over the years and as a result my partner and I decided to leave city life and move our family to County Kerry. It’s early days but I am pretty sure this is the smartest thing either of us have ever done. It has been a homecoming in more ways than one.
The truth is that most of the time I don’t have a clue what I am doing. I am full of self-doubt and imposter syndrome and all that fun stuff. But every now and again I reach a state of flow where everything is intuitive, and I trust myself completely. My inner critic becomes mute and my whole nervous system relaxes. I feel at peace and exactly where I am meant to be. I even dare to call myself an artist.
To find out more about Ciara follow @thewitchsthread, her first solo show will open in Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford, on 6 August 2022.