CIARA MCCULLAGH

ARTIST STATEMENT

Are Ye Free? series

My core interest as an artist is exploring Irish family life and culture through the lens of generational trauma. This allows me to examine and make sense of my own identity. My primary medium is gouache, as it allows me to work freely, creating strange and figurative images with vibrant hues. My focus is portraiture, and I enjoy creating an ambiguous atmosphere within my paintings. This is achieved using various painting processes, such as working wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and utilising gestural brush strokes. The aim is to express the love within my family through my work, whilst presenting the difficulties and challenges that are present as a product of trauma. I am inspired by artists Louise Bourgeois and Andrew Cranston.

INSTAGRAM:

ciaramccullaghart