The exquisite work of the embroidery and textile artist …
How do you define your work? Stitch storytelling. Although my chosen technique is hand stitching, it’s not traditional, but more fluid and emotion-driven. I love detail and find it impossible to simplify. A project can live on my lap for weeks and I’m totally lost in it. There’s rarely a day that I don’t stitch. The story’s in the detail.
Who sparked your interest in embroidery and textile art? My mother studied Botany in UCC and was an avid gardener. She knew the Latin name for everything she grew, and she was a beautiful embroiderer. I garden with thread and without worms!
How did your interest evolve? I studied graphics in NCAD and worked for many years as a graphic designer, but still held on to my love of textiles. I had a designer knitwear label in the 1990s and quickly realised that my favourite element was the embroidery that I added to the garments. It progressed from there, little by little I searched for my stitch voice and found it in reworked vintage.
How do you work? My work has many layers. I use vintage and frayed fabrics, antique lace and naturally dyed silk. Nature features strongly in my art with birds, trees, roots, dandelions (lots of them). Tradition and folklore are often my inspiration as there are always stories behind the history. My background in graphics influences my planning as I build layouts to highlight any problem areas. Admittedly, my work often evolves and rearranges many times until I’m content.
What do you enjoy most? I love the process. Even sourcing the fabric, lace and thread is a joy. My favourite time is mid-project when I’m in my stride. The comfort of stitching is addictive. It’s a relaxing time when I can enjoy the building of a stitch image. Deciding when it’s finished is the stressful part.
What you are working on? I’m delighted to exhibit in Daróg Wine Bar in Galway with James Wellwood. It’s such a personal thing to share a space and love of nature. Although we have different art disciplines, we both love the rich history of the Irish countryside. Edel Lukács has curated a lovely linked exhibition that balances our styles.
My next projects are the combination of my stitching and vintage photography I print onto cotton. I collect antique portrait cabinet cards, searching for images that spark a new narrative to be told in stitch. Some of my stitch stories were part of the 2025 RHA exhibition and RUA in Belfast, and it was so rewarding to have stitching represented in the wider art world.
Need to know: Between Two Fields is a joint exhibition by Mary Moorkens and James Wellwood at Daróg Wine Bar in Galway, running until March 2. @marymoorkens
SEE MORE: Artistic License – Sharon Murphy
