Bio

I am a visual artist specialising in unique embroidered textiles. Formally trained as economist, and holding a MSc with distinction in Economics from Trinity College Dublin, I departed the world of public policy after ten years to pursue a career in art after the birth of my first child. Now I create bespoke embroidered wallhangings for clients across the globe and within the interior design community. By documenting my process and sharing snapshots of life within my studio, I have amassed more than 25k followers on Instagram since setting up in 2019.
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After two annual sell out shows on my website, in November 2022 I was selected to exhibit three large scale wallhangings at the juried Showcase as part of Art Fair 14C in Jersey City. At present I am working alongside award winning designer Rachel Chudley and gold medallist gardener Tom Hoblyn to create one-of-a-kind embroidered textiles for an immersive space at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2023.

www.acrunyc.com

www.instgram.com/acru_

Statement

I create wallhangings using hand embroidery, appliqué and digital printing techniques, relying heavily on colour, form and light to explore and unpick what it is to be human. My subject matter is broad based - it can range from simple still lives rendered in bright colours, to more serious pieces which take aim at our sense of entitlement over the natural world and of others.
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My pieces are surprising, both in the execution and composition, invoking the surreal by
presenting visually pleasing artworks transformed by the inclusion of symbolic or jarring elements. I am drawn to the duality of symbolism; it allows for rich storytelling which simultaneously reveals and conceals. I like to explore the idea that as people we hold complex and shifting inner truths, which we simultaneously present and hide from ourselves and from others.
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I am self taught, and as such I have pursued a singular journey in my art practice. Choosing embroidery was an evolutionary and subconscious process; I have explored many mediums but ultimately am drawn to fibre due to its tactility and potential for greater immersion, from the perspective of the creator and the viewer, heightening the emotional impact and feedback. Over time my work has become increasingly akin to fine art paintings; my practice has evolved in such a way that I now paint surface designs onto pastel boards, which I scan and digitally print onto linen. Doing so allows me to work on much bigger canvases and achieve greater depth. However, the focal elements of my work remain hand-sewn. As I do not necessarily identify as an embroidery artist, but as a fine artist whose medium is thread, I aim to elevate the medium and challenge the idea of embroidery being mostly associated with craft or being considered “women’s work”. I am influenced by the work of Agnes Pelton, Odilon Redon, Henri Matisse and Edouard Vuillard.