Ards Arts Centre in Newtownards welcomes two new art exhibitions for the month of October: Earth-Made, a collaborative exhibition between ceramicist, Patricia Millar, and textile artist, Ruth Osborne and Humans of Covid-19, a solo exhibition by BJ Olsen (Quarembroidery).
In Earth-Made, Patricia Millar and Ruth Osborne explore commonalities through the use of natural materials in textile, ceramic, print, colour and texture. The exhibition brings together new collections of work through sharing practice, materials and research. Underpinning all work in the exhibition is the use of earth-made materials and methods such as wild clays, earth pigments, natural dyes and inks, which offer dialogues across disciplines and explores themes related to, place, sustainability, traditions, folklore and heritage.
This process of researching and experimenting with earth-made materials is showcased as a “Process Lab” – within the main exhibition, which shares the artists’ techniques, processes and experiments. Earth-Made will show in the Georgian Gallery.
Humans of Covid-19 explores the artist’s experience of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 as an artist, but also as a nurse. During the pandemic, BJ Olsen was not able to work, and thus turned to fibre art to work through the feelings of helplessness and fear. BJ began to share the artwork online which provided a small comfort to people across the world, creating textile art of the human condition, where digital culture and analogue humanity intersect.
BJ Olsen, Quarembroidery, is a textile artist based in Northern Ireland. Their work is inspired by cyber culture, expressed in a traditional format. This juxtaposition expands the work and creates a beautiful, palpable dimension to what most people have seen at least once on their mobiles in a social media app. Humans of Covid-19 will be on display in the Sunburst Gallery.
Both exhibitions open on Thursday 3 October and continue until Wednesday 23 October. Admission is free.
All are welcome to attend a preview event in Ards Arts Centre on Thursday 3 October at 7pm.
For more information visit; www.andculture.org.uk