Patricia Kelly

I am an Irish artist. I completed a degree in Fine Craft Design in Ulster University, Belfast in 1986. Through freehand embroidery, I create work in which the stitched line becomes a form of artistic expression leaning increasingly towards abstraction. I am inspired by the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, finding beauty in imperfection.

A deep sense of belonging to a place, where family history intertwines with present lives, is a determining element in my work. Using recycled fabrics and natural dyes, as practised by previous generations, evokes the layering of connected lives. I aim to weave a personal narrative of connection to land, the passage of time, and the enduring practices of labour. My work is a meditative exploration of line and shape. It has evolved through study of line in our organic landscape. Initially captivated by tangled branches silhouetted against the night sky, I enjoy a fine, scribbly stitched line.