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Orla Kelly

textiel , tekenen , Soft sculptures , schilderen , Autobiografisch

My works are observations, exaggerations and my own interpretations of moments of intimacy, adoration, giddiness, lust, love, obsession, possessiveness, entitlement, and anger. I am interested in the intricacies and nuances of relationships and understanding how our environments influence our interactions with each other. I like to look at human behaviours, and emotions, specifically at how gender affects feelings. I like thinking about how opposing feelings exist simultaneously and I want to express these emotional contradictions in my works. I like creating stories and narratives about how I interact with others, or how I see others interacting. I primarily capture these moments in textiles with a focus and joy coming out of the processes I choose. I like to use vibrant colours, blocky shapes, and bold patterns to play with the tone and context of the stories I'm telling, or moments I'm highlighting.

Couples Cutley - There are mini environments in the kitchen cupboards and containers, tubs, cups, pots, pans, jars or drawers. I started to focus on the cutlery drawer, typically divided up, grouped, separated - a series joined dark coffins. This narrative was funny to me - thinking about spooning, forking - imagining the drawer closes and the cutlery all beginning their domestic drawer life with relationships, affairs and lies complicating their existence. I made these 4 knife and fork couples.
Upcycling Workshop - In December I began to run textile collaging and up-cycling workshops in my studio in Rotterdam. We worked through processes such as hand sewing, machine sewing and appliqué. I am often travelling back to Ireland to run these workshops so it was really nice to connect with the community here.
Bacon & Eggs - 'Bacon and Eggs' is a story of a repeated morning ritual shared between two lovers. Their affection, but also dependency highlighted by the small acts and habits they share. Domestic symbols from around the kitchen come in pairs to reinforce the role of the couple. Representing the relationship between my parents, and worn by them, the project consists of two large tufted garments. The egg garment wears a tufted salt and pepper hat, and the bacon wears a tufted knife and fork hat. Funded by the Arts Council Agility award & Making and Momentum Young Artist Prize.
Dad as Bacon - Dad wears Bacon in a portrait of one half of a whole in 'Bacon and Eggs'. This is a story of a repeated morning ritual shared between two lovers. Their affection, but also dependency highlighted by the small acts and habits they share. Domestic symbols from around the kitchen come in pairs to reinforce the role of the couple. Representing the relationship between my parents, and worn by them, the project consists of two large tufted garments. The egg garment wears a tufted salt and pepper hat, and the bacon wears a tufted knife and fork hat. Funded by the Arts Council Agility award & Making and Momentum Young Artist Prize.
Mam as Eggs - Mom wears Eggs in a portrait of one half of a whole in 'Bacon and Eggs'. This is a story of a repeated morning ritual shared between two lovers. Their affection, but also dependency highlighted by the small acts and habits they share. Domestic symbols from around the kitchen come in pairs to reinforce the role of the couple. Representing the relationship between my parents, and worn by them, the project consists of two large tufted garments. The egg garment wears a tufted salt and pepper hat, and the bacon wears a tufted knife and fork hat. Funded by the Arts Council Agility award & Making and Momentum Young Artist Prize.
'I'll be at yours in 5 xxx' - Collaboration with London Based Fashion Designer/Artist, Adam Farrell. Me and Adam were lucky to live a 5 minute walk from each other during the pandemic. We became each other's place of comfort and cosiness during a time of stress and unknowns. This time made me see the value of living nearby a friend as an adult. Having wine late at night, ordering pizzas, going to Tesco for treats, drinking tea, watching Sex and the City and never actually watching it but talking about it. The warmth of reliability, consistency, and dependency. But then Adam moved and a little tiny void was created. Before he left we wanted to pay homage to the time we had spent in Phibsborough, living so close to each other, so in our vanity we made an outfit dedicated to us, with our faces plastered across it and our hands reaching out to one another .
‘I’ll be at yours in 5 xxx’ - Collaboration with London Based Fashion Designer/Artist, Adam Farrell. Me and Adam were lucky to live a 5 minute walk from each other during the pandemic. We became each other’s place of comfort and cosiness during a time of stress and unknowns. This time made me see the value of living nearby a friend as an adult. Having wine late at night, ordering pizzas, going to Tesco for treats, drinking tea, watching Sex and the City and never actually watching it but talking over it. The warmth of reliability, consistency, and dependency. But then Adam moved and a little tiny void was created. Before he left we wanted to pay homage to the time we had spent in Phibsborough, living so close to each other, so in our vanity we made an outfit dedicated to us, with our faces plastered across it and our hands reaching out to one another.
'PUSH' from 'As much as I wouldn't like to' - ‘As much as I wouldn’t like to’ was born from a childhood memory of my parents covering my eyes during explicit scenes in movies. This started a period of research into the normalisation, and sexualisation of violence against women in media and pop culture where the dominant, aggressive male is romanticised, and male sexual desire is prioritised ?????? This project consists of paintings, drawings, and soft sculptures that focus on unwanted interactions that come from a place of unjust entitlement and desire. Interactions that embody starkly opposing emotions. The work is deceptively playful, and the figures are direct depictions of moments of unwelcome touch. These moments lure the viewer, using colours and textures that seduce and tempt whilst simultaneously contradicting their appearance with the narrative they create.
'SQUEEZE' from 'As much as I wouldn't like to' - ‘As much as I wouldn’t like to’ was born from a childhood memory of my parents covering my eyes during explicit scenes in movies. This started a period of research into the normalisation, and sexualisation of violence against women in media and pop culture where the dominant, aggressive male is romanticised, and male sexual desire is prioritised. This project consists of paintings, drawings, and soft sculptures that focus on unwanted interactions that come from a place of unjust entitlement and desire. Interactions that embody starkly opposing emotions. The work is deceptively playful, and the figures are direct depictions of moments of unwelcome touch. These moments lure the viewer, using colours and textures that seduce and tempt whilst simultaneously contradicting their appearance with the narrative they create. Shortlisted for the RDS Visual Arts Awards.
'Reach' - ‘As much as I wouldn’t like to’ was born from a childhood memory of my parents covering my eyes during explicit scenes in movies. This started a period of research into the normalisation, and sexualisation of violence against women in media and pop culture where the dominant, aggressive male is romanticised, and male sexual desire is prioritised. This project consists of paintings, drawings, and soft sculptures that focus on unwanted interactions that come from a place of unjust entitlement and desire. Interactions that embody starkly opposing emotions. The work is deceptively playful, and the figures are direct depictions of moments of unwelcome touch. These moments lure the viewer, using colours and textures that seduce and tempt whilst simultaneously contradicting their appearance with the narrative they create.

Datum:

Bacon and Eggs

Datum:
In samenwerking met: Irish Arts Council funding, Making & momentum young artist grant

'Bacon and Eggs' tells a story of a repeated morning ritual shared between two lovers. Their affection, but also dependency highlighted by the small acts and habits they share. Domestic symbols from around the kitchen come in pairs to reinforce the role of the couple. Representing the relationship between my parents, and worn by them, the project consists of two large tufted garments. The egg garment wears a tufted salt and pepper hat, and the bacon wears a tufted knife and fork hat.

https://www.orla-kelly.com/breakfast

Repair Workshops

Datum:
Locatie: Ireland
In samenwerking met: Primark

Since March I have been teaching clothing and textile repair workshops. Often traveling back to Ireland to teach these classes for a sustainability initiative for Primark called 'Primark Cares'. These are really nice moments to share my love for slow fashion and textiles and getting to meet and reach a really wide audience and share conversation about textiles and clothing.

https://www.orla-kelly.com

‘Felting Home: Textile explorations of Rotterdam’
Orla Kelly ‘Felting Home: Textile explorations of Rotterdam’
Counterbodies #4
Orla Kelly Counterbodies #4