Dee Hurley
Artist Bio
I have worked in many design and the arts roles. After studying film production I gravitated towards set design working as a set maker/dresser for film and TV. Later I moved to freelance art facilitation and event management including the curation of the Surface Tension Street Art Festival as part of the European Capital of Culture 2005. I was drawn back to the world of making when I worked as a bookbinder in Hubert’s Bookbindery. In 2020 the part time art textiles course in CCAD opened up the artistic side of making, thinking conceptually and exploring materials, especially my fascination with botanicals.
Another strand in my life has been an interest in ecology and sustainability. The permaculture course in Kinsale College has had a strong influence on me. I have sought to express these themes through art. I have completed a degree in Contemporary Applied Art in MTU Crawford College of Art and Design and intend to further my studies with a Masters by research on the topic of art and ecology.
My practice involves textile art with the use of botanical elements playing a central part. The level of precision involved in bookbinding has translated well into the work I do now involving the presentation of these delicate elements. The decimation of natural habitats has informed my work. I believe a deeper appreciation of the beauty and diversity of our natural world can nurture harmony and respect.
Artist Statement
My work is informed by a fascination with botanical elements. I collect and arrange until I find a way of presenting them that resonates with me. My aim is to elevate and honour the diversity and beauty of their form and structure. I use assemblage to display dynamic patterns of roots and seeds. I also enlarge images of delicate plant materials to capture the varied textures, these are then printed on up cycled textile.
My work is underscored by the sadness of biodiversity loss, and the hope that an appreciation of its wonder can prompt positive change in our world.
Website deehurley29.wixsite.com/artist
instagram: @deehurlee
Membership: Backwater Artists Network 
