Anna Rooney

My work explores humanity’s relationship to nature and the ways in which textiles can promote reflection and appreciation for our environment. Urban living makes it increasingly difficult to access green spaces and our busy, fast-paced lives leave little time to slow down and support our wellbeing. I aim to engage the sense and reinvigorate a sense of childlike wonder and joy for the ordinary details present in the natural world.

I have taken conkers as my primary source of inspiration due to their common presence in urban areas and almost universal link to childhood. Photography, sketchbook work and sampling have led to a mix-media approach that involves embedding wood and ceramics into my knitted work and combining hand and machine processes. My work features two seasonal moods - one influenced by the activity and abundance of summer and autumn and the other inspired by winter and its gradual transition into spring.

My final collection includes an immersive installation space, with varied scale and consideration of colour, materials and form to make the two sub collections distinct but harmonious and complementary. For my dark collection I highlight the beauty present in quiet deterioration using flowing, branching patterns while my bright collection uses bold shapes and playful motifs. My smaller pieces invite direct interaction while the larger works inspire contemplation, altogether supporting reflection on the interplay between art, the viewer and their environment.