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We hope you will enjoy our 'Wee Weekly ABC' guide to the wonderful selection of Art, Books and Crafts from Northern Ireland we are lucky to have on display in the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels.
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Amazing Art:
Mournes by Danielle Morgan
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Danielle Morgan is a self-taught artist and illustrator living in Northern Ireland who likes to sketch, paint and print the world around her. From nature, landmarks, buildings to people, she uses watercolour and printmaking to create original art.
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After a trip to Australia inspired her to follow her dreams, Danielle created 'Flax Fox', where she designs original prints, tea towels, mugs and more:
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“Creativity is magic. You start with an idea in your head that turns into a physical object. I often think, how did I do that?" Danielle told us: "This piece was inspired by a hike up the Mourne Mountains with friends on my 40th Birthday. A strange and wonderful time, when being outdoors felt freeing as opposed to confinement.
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I appreciated the abundance of beauty we have on our doorstep. This Mountain piece changed my art direction. I've been learning new printmaking techniques and I'm making larger landscape pieces. Sometimes, a seed of an idea starts with a small step. I'm thrilled a little piece of Northern Ireland has a new home in The Brussels Office. It reminds me how much art can be a connection between places and people." Danielle’s wonderful art can be discovered at St George's Market, one of Belfast’s oldest attractions, at the weekends, or you can check out her colourful collection on her website here.
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Brilliant Book:
The End of the World is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy
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Described as a "dazzling, heart-breaking debut collection", The End of the World is a Cul de Sac announced its author Louise Kennedy as a major new voice in twenty-first century literary fiction, with her sharp stories offering flashes of breath-taking beauty, and even humour, amidst the most severe truths. A Sunday Times Book of the Year, the stories are principally concerned with marriage, children, mortality and memory; Louise expertly navigates these with a dazzling commitment to the reality of life's vulnerabilities and failings. Louise grew up in Holywood, County Down. Her prize-winning short stories have appeared in many journals and she has written for the Guardian, Irish Times, BBC Radio 4 and RTE Radio 1. You can read more about Louise's unforgettable and highly regarded writing here.
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Charming Craft:
Wool Bag by Nicola Gates
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Nicola Gates from County Fermanagh founded Olla Nua (meaning 'new wool' in Irish) in 2015, a project that allows her to combine her passion for sustainable contemporary design with the heritage of Irish weaving. The fabrics are handwoven in small batches by Nicola in her studio in Northern Ireland using her Swedish floor loom, which is powered entirely by hand and foot. All of the yarns used are sourced from mills in Ireland and the UK. Some of Nicola’s designs such as her wraps were inspired by the subtle etchings on ancient gold lunulae from Bronze Age Ireland, as displayed in the Ulster Museum and National Museum of Ireland. These beautiful adornments are embellished with simple geometric combinations of triangles, diamonds and lines. Nicola makes a stunning range of scarves, bags, throws and more that you can find here.
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