Catherine sourced an old and dismantled Glimakra Countermarche floor loom and taught herself the mechanisms of weaving from books and diagrams. Inspired by artists such as Hannah Ryggen, Helena Hernmarck and Erin M. Riley, she taught herself tapestry techniques, combining her love of drawing with her love of weaving and wool.
The purpose of her woven portraits is to capture the essence of a person, whether a loved one who has passed or someone who is still living. By capturing their vibrancy, their individual spark, she hopes to capture a moment in time, be it to bring comfort to those that are left behind or to commemorate and celebrate someone who is still living. She is drawn to portraiture in an effort to capture the variations and nuances in a person’s features and expression. She strives to express what makes each unique. Her tapestries focuses primarily on form with an emphasis on light and shadow. Her latest work, a venture into the female figure as landscape pushes the boundaries of what can be created and conceived in wool. The work is concerned with shape and silhouette, combining simplicity with intricacy.
She has recently exhibited with the European Parliament Liaison Office in the UK and the John and Pat Hume Foundation’s exhibition, ‘He Made Hope and History Rhyme’ dedicated to the life of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, John Hume. Her portrait of John and Pat Hume shines a light on Pat Hume, the strength of her relationship with John and her integral role in the peace process. The exhibition is currently on display in the main reception foyer of the Coleraine Campus of Ulster University before moving to the Birley Building reception at Ulster University Belfast from 5th July to 30th August.
She has also been invited to exhibit at the YES Festival in Derry (13th – 16th June), the culmination of the Ulysses European Odyssey, an epic 2 year project across 18 cities in 16 countries, producing artistic responses in public spaces to social and cultural themes identified in the 18 episodes of James Joyce’s Ulysses, co-funded by the European Union and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland for Arts Over Borders. She has been commissioned to create a tapestry for the YES Festival in response to the 18th and final episode of Ulysses, ‘Penelope’, where she will present her largest tapestry to date.