The textiles and mixed medium visual artist Ruth Osborne, exhibits Land and Lore at Market Place, Theatre and Arts Centre, Armagh from Saturday 29 January to 5 March.
This exhibition brings together textile art, printmaking and natural materials native to Ireland to inspire a connection to nature and explore the historical symbolism and beliefs embedded in our landscape.
Land and Lore is a collection of beautiful and arresting artworks, including textile hangings, framed works and handmade books, reflecting the elegant beauty of heritage craftsmanship using traditional printing and dyeing processes.
The delicate design work for each piece is from natural materials which have been consciously and responsibly selected, such as broadleaf foliage and tree bark, for their symbolic connection with Irish folklore. Resulting in original pieces of Irish art sourced from the land and culture that it has originated from.
Well known writings on woodlands from Irish history, such as the Irish Tale of mediaeval Irish tale of Suibhne mac Colmáin have also been referenced in Land and Lore.
Osborne’s latest works are ideal for discerning collectors of Irish art and interior pieces. Each piece is unique due to the artisan process of individually pressing and sculpting each design onto locally sourced materials such as Irish Linen and Willow.
Osborne intentions for her first exhibition at The Marketplace, Armagh is to raise awareness of our attitudes to woodlands, Ireland’s folklore heritage and how it affects our relationship with nature as she comments –
‘Land and Lore highlights a purposeful connection to current issues affecting Ireland’s native landscapes and woodland, however they have significantly diminished within our lifetime.’
‘The artworks I have created draw upon and reference the historic uses, meanings and lore of our woodlands to reflect on how woodlands have shaped, and continue to shape, how we see the world around us.’
Land and Lore exhibits at The Market Place Arts Centre, Armagh from 29 January – 5 March, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Creative Individuals Recovery Programme. Admission is free. Visit www.visitarmagh.com for more information.
