My Graduate project focuses on collections of objects. My research has been driven by found assorted objects and textiles from markets, charity shops, archive collections and museum artifacts. Whether they are precious or mundane they have been curated or naturally formed in their environment. These collections express the varied and random nature of human tastes, histories and lives. Even objects that have been lost or donated by others, which can appear mundane, hold personal significance to owners, and their connection to these objects can tell stories of their lives. I have created a personal archive of objects I have connected with, Looking at the texture, pattern, and colour they possess. I have deconstructed them to reimagine them in my own handwriting. My main collection focuses on print design for fashion.

Artists who incorporate still life silhouettes or references in their work such as Lubainia Humid, William la Chance, Raould Duffy, Kojo Marfo and Norman Gilbert, alongside paintings and installations by Justine Hill have inspired  my collection. Thai Mainhard’s paintings using the relationships between colour and line to reflect the importance of the mundane to individuals, are another key influence.

By using intuitive mark making and collage I layer up a variety of mediums including watercolour acrylic, inks, oil pastels and graphite to explore pattern and shape that I have found within the eclectic mix of objects in my research. Zero-waste paper cuttings in my collages form a key part of my drawing process. The negative spaces that form from these purposefully cut shapes are translated into my printing process, where I intentionally focus on limiting the waste of dyes and materials. My use of found fabrics not only comes from this interest in sustainability but also draws again on my interest in layers of human life found in their objects.

@niamh_printstudio
niamhalice.design@gmail.com