Biography
My ceramic sculptures are inspired by everyday objects that I encounter as a research biochemist interested in understanding the secret life of blood cells. I am also inspired by the history of medicine, and am currently researching how botanical art was used to represent human medicine in the early 19th Century.
Originally from Ireland, I became a Biochemist in 1993 (PhD University of Bristol), and worked in post doctoral research in Switzerland and the USA before returning to the UK in 1999 to work on cardiovascular disease and inflammation at Cardiff University, UK. My laboratory research is focused on understanding how blood cells communicate during clotting and how this contributes to inflammation that occurs in many human diseases including atherosclerosis, aneurysm, infection and autoimmunity. Our team is funded by the British Heart Foundation, Wellcome and Medical Research Foundation.
In Aug 2023, I completed an MA (Ceramics and Maker) at Cardiff School of Art and Design. I developed ceramic sculptures which reflect my biomedical research into bleeding, pain, molecules and cells and began to use ceramics to communicate biomedical ethical issues about which I feel passionate. I work from my home studio based in Cardiff, UK.
Exhibitions:
-Turner House Open Exhibition, Penarth, Sept/Oct 2024.
-WellsArtContemporary, Open Exhibition (121/2500 selected), August 2024
-Gallery at Green&Stone, Chelsea, Open Exhibition, August 2024
-Emerging Makers, MakersWales, Cardiff, July 2024
-Messums West, Plates with Purpose, Wiltshire, April, 2024
-ArtRiddler, Studio10 Gallery, Dublin, Open Exhibition (50/680 selected), October 2023
-Graduate Exhibition, Cardiff MADE, Cardiff, September 2023
-Royal West of England Academy, Annual Open Exhibition, (650/4000 selected) September 2023
-Llantarnam Grange, Cwmbran, Portal, MA Graduate Open Exhibition, August 2023
-Graduate Exhibition, Cardiff School of Art and Design, July 2023
-Royal Cambrian Academy, Conwy, Annual Open Exhibition (200/600 selected), January 2023
-ArtRiddler, Studio10 Gallery, Dublin, Open Exhibition (32/463 selected), October 2022
-Blackwater Gallery, Cardiff, OBJECTs, Open Exhibition, September 2022
-Turner House Penarth, Cardiff, Open Exhibition, October 2021