Lelia is a multidisciplinary artist living in the Cois Fharraige area of south Connamara. Working within a rural bilingual community through the arts and the Irish language, for many years Lelia worked in textiles as a handweaver; giving demonstrations and workshops , retailing her work both here and abroad. Much of the work Lelia does now is informed by techniques and methods from that craft. In 2012 she attained a Degree from ATU in Art and Design. While her background is textile based there is a sculptural element to her current work practice.
Lelia’s work is rooted in her surroundings, and explores a sense of place and home. . Each piece reflects her environment and her place within it. Found materials are important to her practice. The opportunities afforded to Lelia by them allow for greater spontaneity and ultimately inform what she makes. She weaves, she knots, she stitchs, she wraps using materials such as plastic, rope, seaweed, cloth, wire, driftwood. Some of her work may be small and delicate or large and loud and sometimes even performative.
Lelia’s work and process have been the subject of a programme on TG4 – the National Irish language television station, called IMEALL which aired nationwide in November 2022. Also she has worked in collaboration with ANAM, an Art Craft and Design project by Peter Sheridan Studio which was a site specific installation of objects and artefacts in The Old Forge, Renvyle, Connamara 2023. She have been commissioned to make work for the “Sculpture at Westport Quay” in Co.Mayo- works curated by Catherine Marshall, in 2021. Her textile works were part of a travelling exhibition, “Dath an Dochas”, around Ireland in celebration of the large community of artists living and working in the Irish language speaking areas and supported by Ealaion na Gaeltachta government funding in 2021/22. She participated in an international project called “Carrying the Songs”…a story telling project and art, with Alannah Robbins of Interface Inagh, an Artists Collective of which she is a member 2020. Lelia is also a founding member of an Artists Collective called Cúl an Tí here in Connemara of which our project The Mobile Art Library featured in the National Arts News, V.A.I….Visual Arts Ireland.
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