‘To be forgotten is to die twice’.
I am interested in the traces we leave, on people's hearts, on objects and places. Themes of memory, love and loss permeate my work. My current series of paintings are inspired by ritual grief practices at St. Brigid’s Well, in Liscannor, Co. Clare. Intimate prayers of the well-goers are enshrined at the site, through the leaving of tokens of remembrance. Where traditionally rags were tied to a prayer tree, the modern visitor leaves whatever they have with them; hair ties, bracelets, photos, children’s toys. Countless talismans are left by visitors to the site. The statues at the well are weighed down with mementos. These love/grief tokens represent the commonality of grief. My work attempts to honour the memories held at this powerful site, with compassion for those who are suffering or who have passed on. Layered memories interweave, charging these ritually deposited objects, imbuing them with sentiment.  We are all just passing through.