The message here is simple, but one I return to again and again in both my work and personal life:
How can we find ways to redefine "waste" material? How creatively, how beautifully and purposefully can we reframe how we interact with things that have reached the end of their intended life -- and interrupt their journey to a landfill?
Crafted from salvaged marine debris and raw cotton cord, 'Afloat' elevates discarded ocean waste with intricate knotwork and lush, soft cotton.
A canary yellow buoy marks its heart, its tassels adorned with coral-hued fishing line.
All of the marine material was salvaged from a mass clean up of the Irish coastline several years ago under a government scheme, the harvest of which has sat largely ignored and unclaimed for years.
This piece belongs to a collection of work called 'Ocean Bones', featuring treasures from the underwater world: driftwood and seaglass, salvaged fishing rope and buoys, and sacred bones found washed up on Ireland's Atlantic coastline.
As part of the creation of this collection, I'll also be teaching workshops on how to create your own macramé artwork from reclaimed fishing rope.
Measuring ~120cm X 80cm