This article is from page 30 of the 2008-05-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 30 JPG
HIDDEN messages reveal a positive attitude in a new exhibition currently on display in Ennis.
Final year arts student Grace O’Hara is the woman behind the work that can be seen in the front window of Mrs Quin’s charity shop in Ennis.
Embroidered in clothes donated by Grace to the shop, are motivational messages and positive mantras. Some of the messages are visible while others are hidden. The items are part of Grace’s final year project for the Limerick School of Art and Design. The items will then go on display in June at the final exhibition to be held
at the St George’s Quay campus.
Describing the technique as similar to that employed by graffiti artists, Grace said, “I embroider onto my own clothes and given them to char- ity shops. The work is anonymous in the sense that it doesn’t bear my name. The only recognizable feature is the style of the stitching used.
Grace continued, “The reward for me is the notion of the buyer sudden- ly finding the message, reading it and holding onto the positive thought. What I am hoping to do is to spread good will or karma and this proc- ess continues when the clothes get passed on again or end up in another charity shop.”
The project developed as a result
of the pressures Grace experienced during her final year of college.
After reading through self-help and motivational books, she felt com- pelled to weave a positive message into her own work.
She said “The origin of my work stems from the personal stresses that we all endure in everyday life. When I was doing research for this project, these positive messages be- came my motivational tools to cope with stress, as did the calming craft of embroidery. It helped to soothe away my worries.”
Grace received important support from her lecturers in Limerick and the staff at Mrs Quin’s Charity shop.
“Lucy and all of the staff at Mrs
Quin’s were very helpful in letting me use the window. My tutors in Limerick, Sean Taylor, Mike Fox and Amanda Dunsmore gave me great help throughout my years in college.”
None of the clothes currently on display are on sale, as they will be used in the June exhibition in Lim- erick. After completing her degree Grace hopes to pursue a career in Koreans
“The nice part about the work is people do not realize they have bought a piece of art until they in- spect the clothes closely or they may just think it was designed that way”.
The work is on display in Mrs Quin’s charity shop until May 12.