Frances Crowe

A graduate of The National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Fibre Artist Francis Crowe is based in Roscommon, Ireland. Her inspiration comes from the landscapes and the surroundings of her country studio. She work in a variety of materials, paint, collage, mixed media – but her primary thought process is in fibres. She collects materials such as wool, rope, cotton: twisting and weaving them together to form individual, original works of art.
“The art of handwoven tapestry is many thousands of years old and the technique has remained virtually unchanged. What has changed and evolved over the centuries is the way in which the medium is used, the purity of its design and execution and the esteem it commands in society as a whole. Working in the medium of tapestry demands many days and months of solitary labour in the production of one piece, but it is this very thing that I love. My work deals with the landscape of time, place and memories. I am inspired by traditional working processes, and connections with generations past. The three main components that drive my arts practice are: primarily the expression of an idea, the physical act of creation, and the material exploration. The subjects of my work have to engage me on an emotional as well as an intellectual level, enabling me to peruse them for many months or years. Discovering a materials individual characteristic and how they can support my concepts, has a strong appeal to me.”