Dundalk's Creative Spark announces latest Artist in Residence

Eimear Murphy is a Louth based artist; she explores how we give and take care in our society by collecting and turning everyday materials, such as hair, paper and wood, into sculptures. She wonders if by making caring energy into sculptures can we see and touch this necessary but extremely undervalued social labour. 

Eimear will use this residency at Creative Spark to develop dynamic techniques combining new industrial technology in the Enterprise Fab Lab, such a laser cutting and CNC, with traditional printing and paper making methods in the Print Studio.

She first started this work in 2023 through a commissioned body of work for the Galway Art Festival exhibition: ‘Universal Musicalis + Eternal Equations of Love’ a two-person exhibition at 126 Gallery, Galway.

Eimear has a BA in Fine Art & History of Art (The National College of Art and Design in 2015), and more recently MA Arts & Learning (Goldsmiths, London in 2022), both with First Class Honours.

In 2017 she completed a landmark sculptural commission for Dublin Port Company while at FireStation Artists’ Studio.
Recent exhibitions include ‘Lace Paint Hair’, The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin (2020) and ‘Less Stress More Success’, Kilkenny Arts Office, Ireland (2020).

^{Above: Hair Correspondence 2020 Kilkenny Arts Office (Photo: Nathan Cahill)}

Eimear facilitates for galleries and schools across Ireland. Recent projects include ‘PPTX’, Void Gallery, Derry (2022) and Remote Concrete, Lusk Community College (2020).

Eimear was awarded the prestigious Arts Council of Ireland’s Next Generation Artist Award (2018), Droichead Arts Centre’s
First Solo Award (2018) and FireStation Artist's Studios Graduate Residency (2015).

Her work is held in the Collection of the Arts Council of Ireland, The Office of Public Works and Dublin Port Company. Her practice has been supported by The Arts Council of Irelands Bursary in 2020 2021 & 2022.