01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Dundalk-based printmaker Colleen Eilís Murphy takes up residency at Creative Spark
A fine art graduate from the National College of Art and Design, she uses vibrant colours and layering techniques in her printmaking. Inspired by mythology and tarot, she reimagines traditional stories.
An active member of Creative Spark Print Studio, Cooleen has exhibited in a group exhibition in An Táin and also in Hen's Teeth, Dublin, Rua Red and Outset, Gallery, and has recently had her work published in Good Day Cork.
She was awarded a Visual Arts Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland in 2022 to further develop her practice.
Colleen's approach to printmaking mirrors the structure of storytelling: layered, deliberate, and constantly evolving. She uses screen printing and mixed media techniques to reinterpret traditional symbols, playing with repetition and variation to invite viewers to reconsider familiar narratives.
Inspired by mythology, tarot, and religious iconography, her work often features striking imagery—such as a suited monkey, a pedigree dog, and a dinosaur sharing space with Adam and Eve. These elements challenge conventional ideas of human origins, evolution, and storytelling with humour and thoughtfulness.
Colleen's art practice also extends into community engagement. Facilitating workshops and working collaboratively has become an integral part of her exploration into shared stories and collective memory. They inform her studio practice and allow for a deeper exploration of how myth and identity are shaped through dialogue and exchange.
During her time at Creative Spark, Colleen will explore themes inspired by the Irish language, focusing on how it connects—or disconnects—us from place, memory, and identity.
This new direction will see her experiment with printmaking, installation, and mixed media—using the FabLab to push her work beyond the page and into more physical forms. Colleen also hopes to connect with the local community to gather Irish words, phrases, and stories that will shape her evolving project.
