A warm welcome.

I’m JoJo and this is a space where I can connect with you and share my creative journey and passions through my art. Making and creating has been a significant part of my life for as long as I can remember. It allows me time to explore and experiment, to become familiar with my surroundings and to other people and ultimately it helps me to make some sense of the world and unearth it’s magic.

As a mixed media artist I am drawn to textiles and embroidery - the sensory nature of this medium is especially satisfying and the potential for experimentation is endless. Stitching is also a powerful form of expression and transformation in itself. I can also be found experimenting with paper, wood, paint, ink, print and soil.

I love to blend the ancient and the contemporary and my passion for ancient arts and crafts was ignited when working in different countries. I found that it was very often the glue that stuck communities together, whilst keeping precious stories safe. Now based in Ireland, I am surrounded by great art and craft traditions.  I am grateful for this and I am passionate about passing on any knowledge I’ve gathered along the way, whilst holding respect for my own teachers. 

Nature's intricate details never cease to captivate me, and both the wild environment and human nature serve as constant sources of inspiration. My recent work often revolves around the moments of connection and disconnection we experience with the wilderness, exploring the essence of what it means to be wild. I'm deeply intrigued by the adaptation and interconnectedness of organisms and the cycles of life and death they embody. These gigantic themes of life and death stitch my work together – as without death and decay, there is no life. I also aim to celebrate the diversity of life and our collective need to protect and nuture it along with ourselves. 

My experiences in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and horticulture have allowed me to observe wildlife closely and to work with plants and ecosystems. I aim for balance and make a conscious effort to incorporate organic materials into my art, using plants I've grown or objects I've gathered. Whenever possible, I also embrace the use of repurposed materials – particularly used clothing. The material carries a rich history with it of both the previous wearer and the creators of both the garment, the textile surface design, and the fabric, which adds to my work.

With an arts background in teaching English and Drama, I remain captivated by character, motivation, and plot, which find their way into my creations. The portrayal of the wild in history, myth, and folklore really intrigues me, as does animism. Poetry, written word, and the visual properties of text also serve as potent sources of inspiration. There also tends to be a darkness and light to my work, echoing the Victorian gothic - the shadows are meant to speak in my art. 

My influences are numerous. They include: Alexander McQueen, Louise Bourgeois, Sheila Hicks, Xenobia Bailey, Michelle Carragher, Gabriel Pacheco, Jean Draper, Lotte Reineger, Nick Cave, Chiharu Shiota, Aubrey Beardsley and Iris van Herpen. 

Thank you for joining me,

With love, JoJo x