KELLY EWING
she/her | b. 1996, Derry, Ireland | Based in London
Kelly Ewing’s practice delves into the narrative of Irish folklore, inviting audiences to contemplate the dynamic interplay between myth, femininity, and the evolving nature of ecological and cultural surroundings. Her work is informed by concepts such as the body as landscape, the tension between reality and artifice in digital and physical spaces, biomorphism, and speculative world-building.
She explores the connections between folklore, femininity, and ecological collapse, employing both traditional and digital techniques to engage with the concept of rebuilding landscapes and imagining alternative, regenerative futures in the face of ecological breakdown. At the core of her work lies an examination of transition and the liminal spaces of Mag Ildathach, an Irish folkloric realm where otherworldly dimensions intersect with our own, transforming perceptions of space and reality.
This transitional space reflects the precariousness of today’s natural world, especially in the face of ecological breakdown and climate crisis. Drawing parallels between these shifting otherworlds and the real-world fragility of landscapes, she references the ecological urgency surrounding algae blooms in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland, alongside other ecological breakdowns across the island of Ireland. The toxic algae—symptomatic of environmental imbalance and degradation—serves as a real-world counterpart to the symbolic decay and transformation within the spaces she constructs.
Ewing experiments with salvaged materials, transforming cardboard, plastic, and other industrial remnants into sculptural works. These reused materials reflect the need for ecological regeneration, as the process mirrors the call for sustainable practices and environmental consciousness in response to ecological collapse, such as the one occurring in Lough Neagh. Through repurposing discarded materials, she highlights the potential for renewal and rebuilding in both art and nature.
