Artist Statement
For over twenty years, my practice has focused on exploring deep-rooted connections between art, food, farming, social justice and resilience. My projects incorporate socially engaged, collaborative and performative process; participatory moving image; large scale drawing installations; as well as creative and autobiographical writing.
Grounded on a nineteen acre organic farm and native woodland on the west coast of Ireland, my partner and I run a project called The Barna Way. From here we engage with the diverse community groups through social farming, live food and cultural events, while protecting habitats for wildlife. This seventeen year project is propelled by an accelerated sense of urgency around food insecurity, climate crisis, biodiversity loss and forced migration.
My aim is to create cultural spaces where communities, artists, food producers and farmers can come together to resist industrial food systems and the fallacy of ‘cheap food’ by thinking global and acting local. Through the prism of eating and growing local food, communities are invited to create a vision for transformative food systems.
Cumhacht na healaíne ná gurbh fhéidir léi an samhlaíocht a spreagadh.
The power of art is that it can bring the imagination to life.
For upcoming events in 2023 check out the NEWS page