Of Word and Stitch An Irish Artist Stitches Layers of Meaning Into Art
Te Irish National Heritage Park sits quietly across from the River Slaney just north of the town of Wexford, only metres from the Dublin to Wexford N25 road.
Inside, and as a part of the Wexford Fringe, (an extended celebration of the Wexford Festival Opera) Of Word and Stitch exhibition shows one artist’s connectedness between, art, textiles, stitching and the written word. Among the art, there is a consistent flow using colour, shaping and treatment in each piece. Te artist, Róisín Markham, shares her evolution and creation that is Of Word and Stitch.
“Tere is a patterning and sense of developing in my work. You will see very particular paths. Tere is a direction—a relationship between the painting work and the textile work. It represents new growth and the cycle of change in our lives.”
Layered Meaning Róisín’s exhibition includes painted and felted pieces, some treated with hand stitching of beading and free motion words among other textiles. Te elements are layered,
40 Irish Quilting Issue 16
Compass
each treatment holding significant meaning for this artist. “When I paint, I write on the canvas, much like journaling. It is the start of my favourite process, storytelling.” Yet, with respect to this exhibition and these textiles, and