EXHIBITION| Re-Connecting - opening 5th October, Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick

Re Connecting: A solo exhibition exploring the visual elements of recovery and resilience

Join me next Thursday 5th October at 7pm evening to launch my solo show ‘Re-Connecting’ exploring my visual interpretation of recovery and resilience through sculpture, collaboration and installation.

Re-Connecting will spans the gallery spaces at Down Arts Centre exploring visual elements of my rediscovery and reconnection with creativity after acquired brain injury.   Pieces explore reconnection with colour through making after a period with an absence of confidence in colour.  Place and storytelling are integral to the exhibition with pieces taking inspiration from stories of resilience, strength and survival depicted in native folk songs.   

The central piece ‘Re-framing II’ was made in collaboration with Brain Injury Matters in Belfast and is an iteration of ‘Re-framing’ installation which formed part of Rachel’s solo show in the Island Arts Centre last spring.

This exhibition has been kindly supported through funding by the Arts Council NI through the National Lottery via the Support the Individual Artist, General Arts Award.

Festive Workshops | The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

I have some amazing workshops planned over the next few weeks and the lead up into the festive season and end of year which I’m really excited about!

Some are free family drop-ins others may need to be booked to secure a place - check out the links to find out more information - looking forward to seeing you there!

MAC Art Club Christmas Dress UP | 04.12.22. | 11am & 12.15pm (Please click on image to book)

Children’s Christmas Craft at F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio | 10.12.22. | 10am & 11.30am (please click on image to book)

MAC Art Club Christmas Dress Up | 18.12.22. 11am & 12.15pm | Please click on link to book

WORKSHOP | Imagination Station - Window Sculpture, 3rd Sep 1-4pm at The MAC, Belfast

Join me tomorrow afternoon down in The MAC, in Belfast for lots of creativity fun inspired by the Ron Mueck exhibition.

Inspired by the sculpture 'Woman with Shopping' in the Upper Gallery, we need your help to decorate the huge window in the Playroom. You'll get to make your own "Mini Mueck" by drawing in your character's features and clothes and giving them a name.

We'll then put them all on the window so everyone who passes by can see them and read all about the mini people you have created.

Join us for a drop-in family workshop to draw and colour your mini paper sculpture and help make our window installation a reality.

Fun for all ages - and off course road tested by Imogen (8) and Liam (5).

EXHIBITION | Our Journey - Virtual Tour & Digital Showcase - with working link!🤞🏻

Don’t worry if you missed Design Nation’s exhibition ‘Our Journey’. Check out this selection of images taken by the photographer Scott Murray or click on the link below to take a virtual tour.

The exhibition celebrates an impressive selection of 25 Design-Nation members. Working in a range of craft disciplines, selected members embody the values that have now become the most important aspects of Design-Nation today.  A showcase of diverse material-led practices, Our Journey emphasises excellence and beauty of design and craftsmanship and highlights the sector’s increasingly committed focus on innovative ways to address sustainability and embrace ethical making. The exhibition opened to the public on Sat 29 Jan and closed on Sun 24 Apr 2022 and was slated by Crafts Council UK as one of its must see exhibitions of 2022!

If you’d like to see even more - click on the link below visit the digital showcase, see more images or to read more about the exhibitors, the hub or the organisation, Design Nation.

EXHIBITION | Our Journey - (Forbidden) Embrace

(Forbidden) Embrace

This work explores my ongoing engagement with our material world.  Lockdown had many negative impacts and constraints on our lives while we cocooned ourselves.  However, it also gave us time to reflect on the many things we do not discern or appraise.

I works with my hands in keeping with the deep-rooted crafts heritage of a rural society in which I lives. I transform materials using slow skills and processes such as hand dying and sculpting, drawing inspiration from the magnificent sea and landscapes off my native Ireland, together with her love of rhythm and music.

Through this piece I hope to challenge the innovative the way in which we look at the world through everyday materials.  I predominantly work with the polyester material, VELCRO.  There is a sense of connection to these hook and loop ribbons through my childhood memories.

I strives to push the boundaries of my practice through scale and colour with the creation of a highly sensory environment where both luminosity and acoustics alter as you explore the piece. There is a forbidden tactility to the work were the innate desire to touch this familiar material is constrained and playfully cocooned as a piece of art in a formal setting.

Below is a link to a video created by R&A collaborations featuring the exhibitors who’s work was selected to be curated within the excellence category of the exhibition. Rachel discusses the processes needed to create and sculpt the piece, her clip starts at 1min 55sec.

Materials: 800m Velcro, Aluminium hoops, chain

Dimensions: 80cmx80cm x600cm

Photography Credit: Scott Murray

EXHIBITION | Our Journey, Private View Friday 27th January

It was wonderful to be able to travel over to be at the Private View of Our Journey exhibition in the HUB (formally Centre for Craft & Design) in Sleaford, England. Above are some images from the evening - it was he first time for many of us to finally get to meet in person.

My work was selected to be showcased in for Design- Nations major exhibition ‘Our Journey’. The exhibition captured important milestones in the evolution of Design-Nation’s portfolio of leading contemporary designer-makers from across the UK. It was a showcase of diverse material-led practices, emphasising excellence and beauty of design and craftsmanship, and highlights the sector's increasingly committed focus on innovative ways to address sustainability and embrace ethical making. It featured 25 designer-makers from the Design-Nation portfolio, working in ceramics, digital technologies, glass, leather, metal, repurposed materials, textile and wood. Exhibits will include 2D artworks, decorative vessels, jewellery, lighting, mosaics, quilting, throws and sculptures.

Featured Artists: Alison Shelton Brown, Amy Leigh, Anna Thomson, Arra Textiles (Lucy MacDonald), Ash & Plumb, CharlieBirtles, Georgia Bosson, Hannah Lobley, Helen Slater Stokes, Jacky Oliver, Jan Bowman, JaninePartington, Julie Vernon, Laura Mabbutt, Linda Bloomfield, Lizzie Kimbley, Michaela McMillan, MomokaGomi, Nick Rawcliffe and Myra Hutton, Rachel Fitzpatrick, ReWorked (Sam Isaacs), Scott Benefield, VerityPulford

About Design-Nation: Design-Nation is a leading portfolio of some of the most acclaimed and innovative designers andcraftspeople from across the UK. Our mission is to bring together partners, champions and investment, tostrengthen business and creative development in the contemporary design and crafts sector.Design-Nation: future thinking for design and craft.

TALK | London Craft Week 2021 | 6th October 2021 at 12.00pm

Join us for “On the Workbench” for insights on makers work, a peek inside our studio and for a bit go fun over lunchtime. Hosted by Design Nations Hayley Banks and am looking forward to joining Kira Phoenix K’inan, Debbie Barber, Linda Bloomfield, Jacky Puzey and Lucy MacDonald of Arra Textiles.

Click on the link to pre-register.

SHOWCASE | London Craft Week 2021 with Design Nation

I am delighted to be part of a group of 25 talented Design Nation members who have beens selected for a digital only exhibition. Below are image of my piece ‘Ignite’.

Check out the link for more information.

Design-Nation returns to London Craft Week this October, presenting a digital-only exhibition, through original films, an online showcase and talks programme.

This exhibition selects new work created over the past 18 months that celebrates the stories of our makers and their outstanding work – craft that is produced with heart as well as hands. What makes great craft? And what drives makers to keep creating?

The exhibitors are drawn from multiple disciplines, showcasing the diversity and depth of talent in the Design-Nation portfolio. From Aberdeenshire to Cornwall, and Northern Ireland to East Anglia, by way of North Wales and West Sussex, Design-Nation brings together an impressive array of heartfelt craft, designed and made with talent, precision and passion.

Ceramics: Debbie Barber | Diane Griffin | Jacqui Ramrayka | Linda Bloomfield | Sarah Burton

Glass: Helen Slater | Kira Phoenix K’inan | Samantha Sweet | Verity Pulford

Jewellery + Metal: Amy Leigh | Alison Shelton Brown | Carin Lindberg | Jacky Oliver | Kate Bajic

Mixed Media: Blott Works (Dan Morrison) | Hannah White | Rachel Fitzpatrick

Textiles: Arra Textiles (Lucy MacDonald) | Duo-Hue (Amelia Ayerst) | Emily Jo Gibbs | Fiona Sperryn | Jacky Puzey | Selina Rose | Valerie Wartelle

Wood: Ash + Plumb

SHOWCASE | Create Day 2021

I am delighted to be part of Create Day 2021 - 24hrs of non-stop human ingenuity.

Go behind the scenes and engage with human ingenuity, imagination, diversity and skills from around the globe. Plus discover some of the new products, artworks and installations that will be shown at London Craft Week 2021 and the mix of magic and skill that lies behind their creation.

New this year, you can use the Create Day Programme Preview to favourite the films you want to see and create your very own playlist before Saturday 4 September. The Create Day films will go live every hour region by region over 24 hours. Starting in Oceania followed by Asia at 02:00am BST before moving to the UK, Europe, Africa and finally the Americas.

My video, giving insights into my practice and love of the material velcro will go LIVE from 13PM GMT. Below are a few ‘stills’ from the video of me working in my studio.

TALK | New Designers, Juggling Acts - Portfolio careers with Design Nation

It is wonderful to have been invited to be part of New Designers Talks Programme with Design Nation on Portfolio careers and on how different strands come together in a positive way with Charlie Birtles, Liz Cooper and Hayley Banks. Click on the link below to hear the conversation.

TALK | Join the Design Discussion | Pewter Live Event with Design Nation

I’m very excited to be invited to speak at Pewter Live this evening as part of a panel of Design Nation members. Member Amy Leigh (image in thumbnail) will give a key note speech followed by a discussion led by DN Development Manager, Liz Cooper with DN members Jacky Oliver and myself. We will be discussing our love of materials, working in 3D and design innovation during this evenings session. Click on the link below to join the discussion.

Pewter Live has taken place at Pewterer’s Hall, in the heart of the City of London, since 1988. The Annual European Design Competition is organised by the Worshipful Company of Pewterers to promote the use of pewter and innovation in design.

The Design Nation discussion will look at how designers approach the process of creating vessels and other 3D forms. Speakers are artist in metal Jacky Oliver, lighting designer Rachel Fitzpatrick, and Design-Nation’s Liz Cooper, who will introduce the topic with a short reflection on the achievements of the late Miranda Watkins, an outstanding product designer who worked with Wentworth Pewter on several ranges, winning Design-Nation’s Eureka award in 2008.

Jacky Oliver

Amy Leigh

PRESS | Embroidery Magazine

It was a dream come true to have a feature in Embroidery Magazine. I read this magazine while studying in Art School in Belfast, it inspired and formed my practice. Its hard to believe my work is now featured in it too!

SHOWCASE | Launch of Design Nation 20 Makers 20 Objects

My work is showcased in ‘20 Makers 20 Object’s, a celebration of selected signature pieces of Design-Nation’s network of over 250 designers and makers.

This year Design-Nation Celebrates its 20th anniversary by showcasing the diversity of the UK’s Craft and ‘Design in 20 Makers, 20 Objects’. The curated online showcase celebrates selected signature pieces from a network of over 250 designers and makers. In a simple brief, they asked the membership ‘What piece of work do you consider to be the perfect example of your signature style’.

EXHIBITION | Linen Lab Gallery Installation

I was quite nervous about the installation of this piece - it was so big, would it fall down, would it break… what did it look like?? Luckily I was dealing with absolute professionals who gently installed the grids and unwrapped each strand of pinwheels, all from a height of 6 metres!

A huge thank you to all the staff and team at Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

The Exhibition runs until 9th November 2019.

STUDIO | Linen Lab Preparation

With all the calculations completed now came the more exciting task of constructing the piece.

This began outside in the garden preparing the grids with white spray paint. The grids were then brought inside to begin the process to threading the 1000 pinwheels on about 2km of linen thread. Each strand was then bagged up ready to be transported to the gallery.

EXHIBITION | Linen Lab Exhibition Opening

Over the next few weeks I will be posting lots of information about my involvement in the Linen Lab project and it’s exhibition, which opens 11th October at 11am at FE McWilliam Gallery & Studio.

There will be an additional Meet the Maker opening from 2-4 on Saturday 12th October.

The Linen Lab exhibition will feature the work of Heather Richardson, Jill Phillips, Robert Peterson, Studio Plastique, Lynsey McDougal, Deborah Malchomson and myself.

We are the creative professionals who have been challenged to work collaboratively with young people aged 10-19 in schools and college across Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon. Over the nine-month programme of classroom and gallery-based creative sessions, we have developed new work for the exhibition held in the FE McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge from Oct 11th to Nov 9th 2019.

STUDIO | Linen Lab Exhibition Planning

Almost 1000 colourful pinwheels for ‘Flaxation’ had been made in the classroom by the pupils of Ballydown, St Mary’s and Bridge Integrated Primary School. However was still the task of counting and organising them to create the piece for the Linen Lab exhibition. This quickly became a more complicated engineering task than I had originally anticipated, how many of each colour were there and in what order could they be displayed?

Once the mathematical side of things had been calculated I was able to get stuck into the task of making the piece.

i think it took me a few days to check and then recheck my calculations!

WORKSHOP | Linen Lab Schools’ Gallery Visit to F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio

As part of the Linen Lab Programme each school had the opportunity to visit the F.E. McWiliam Gallery & Studio. During their visit the had a guided tour of the current exhibition and the outdoor sculptural garden. After this the children created more pinwheel flowers and we discuss their piece, where it would be and what it might look like. we also discussed potential names for the piece and the children decided on ‘FLAXATION’

The exhibition will run from October 11th to 9th November 2019

For further information on the Linen Lab project see the website here

WORKSHOP | Lab Nights: Sculptural Linen Workshop

This workshop formed part of a new series of evening workshops in 2019 for young people at the F.E.McWilliam Gallery and Studio. These workshops were offered as part of the Linen Lab project - encouraging young people to explore Linen in new ways and experiment with a range of creative processes.

Sculptural Linen workshop encouraged young people to get involved in a laboratory of form, texture and the written word. it was led by myself and writer Heather Richardson. We used various mark making and constructed Textile Techniques and the workshop was perfect for budding artists, designers and creative writers or those hoping to develop portfolio skills for college and university.

The Linen Lab Exhibition will run from 11th October to 9th November 2019

For more information about the Linen Lab Project click here

NEWS | INTERNATIONAL AWARD | Certificate of Excellence by Arts & Crafts Design Award 2018

I am delighted to have been awarded a certicate in excellence for outstanding quality and orginality of my work by the jury of the Arts Craft and Design Award 2018.

 http://www.acd-award.com/rachel-fitzpatrick