Claire Hurley
DATES
17 November to 19 December 2026
TIMES
SHARE
Claire Hurley
17 November to 19 December 2026
Studio open to the public on Monday and Tuesday
This residency will focus on exploring practices of care for land and community through intentional engagement with natural elements. Through ritual, making, and both ceremonial and practical acts, the project aims to develop land-based, performative gestures that respond to ecological vulnerability and collective wellbeing. The residency will support the creation of ritual objects, garments, and actions that function as tools for reflection, resilience, and connection during times of ecological uncertainty.
This work builds directly on my ongoing artistic practice, which investigates ritual, folk traditions, and embodied making as methods of care and repair. My projects often involve slow, repetitive processes—such as foraging, weaving, hand-stitching, binding, wrapping, and mending—that emphasise attentiveness, touch, and time. These processes allow materials and actions to carry both practical and symbolic meaning, creating space for reflection on our relationships with land, labour, and one another. The residency provides an opportunity to deepen this research within a specific site and community context.
Engagement with the local community is an important aspect. This may take the form of open studios, co-creating simple rituals marking seasonal shifts, shared making sessions, or walks and actions rooted in the landscape. By inviting people to observe or take part in processes of care and making, the project seeks to create accessible points of connection, encouraging dialogue around ecological responsibility, collective care, and shared knowledge.
Claire Hurley is an Irish artist based in Limerick. Her work in expanded sculpture and mixed media, as well as photography explores her relationship to the land and other beings. Her background in Archaeology (UCG) and Art and Ecology (NCAD) further informs her practice and her interest in heritage and ecology and how humans make meaning from the world around.
@clairehurleyart
Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre acknowledges the financial support of The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon in making these residencies possible.
