Jane O'Sullivan
Endless Beauty (Adornments Of Joy And Despair)
4th March to 30th April 2025
For those who have been following my newsletters from Space Out Sister, you may recall how I have been writing about how I believe it is beneficial to explore the importance of the area of mentally disengaging from time to time, the art of Niksen. Encouraging self care & development by way of slowing down, the art of pottering, creating time in busy days to nurture our internal; our calm, stillness and our self exploration, ultimately to inspire creativity and fuel our imagination.
‘I Am Made For This Moment & It For Me'
I have the honour of having the artist Jane O’Sullivan’s new exhibition of work on display at 88 Francis Street. ‘Endless Beauty (Adornments Of Joy And Despair)’ is a body of work that is an ‘investigation into the spiritual & sacredness of the every day, within our lives.’ The quiet spaces in between, where we can find the emotional, the ethereal. Jane’s art gently nudges us to acknowledge and to tune in; to nurture the fluidity of our inner space, listening to our emotions and feelings. The gentle acceptance of the deep undercurrents of experience, that lead to a bravery with acknowledgement, indeed, a courage; a word that Jane is currently exploring & researching.
‘Coeur is the French word for heart..courage the word is derived from coeur…to have courage is to speak from the heart & this is my space of exploration with everything I do in my life.’
Let our emotional body lead us to trust that these are all important expressions that make up and are intrinsic to our humanity. Embrace and float on these moments. They are of us and us of them. Clarity of states within states & the juxtaposition of same combine.
‘Sewing as emotional repair’
Jane’s artwork includes vintage clothing & bags that have hand embroidered words. Words that appear ‘intuitively’, ‘randomly’ or ‘words…read that resonate’…’A process ensues & through the meditative act of the repetitive stitch just like a mark on a page, a form evolves.’
‘Poignant Sorrows, Courage, Joy & Despair, It Is All Too Much, Overwhelmed, May Blessings Around You Continue To Fall, I Am Made For This Moment & It For Me’, delicately woven needlework that speaks to essence of soul, lending to & bringing into reality, giving voice to that which has perhaps been trying to surface for acknowledgment.
There is a vintage blouse, as part of a set, embroidered with ‘Joy & Despair’ in bright red thread. The red thread representing ‘protection, widely recorded as a colour of higher strength & powers…’ Next to this is a necklace of dried roses sewn on to red ribbons with fine read rose gold chain looped along the ribbon as an adornment of great beauty, strength & fragility.’
Likewise, Nina Katchadourian, an American artist, created works finely tuned to being in & aware of the present, still & enveloped in nature. ‘Uninvited Collaborations With Nature’, the The Mended Spiderwebs Series see the artist take red starched thread and ever so carefully mend the spiders broken webs.
Both artists create through spending time in timelessness, in presence, a present unfolding moment, a stillness that allows the calm to translate to something inspired by divinity and inner trust, a guidance that is given permission to allow that which is, perhaps not always acknowledged to be part of the self narrative & internal monologue, to ultimately help form our story of soul expression.
‘May Blessings Around You Continue To Fall’
Jane O’ Sullivan’s exhibition continues at Space Out Sister, 88 Francis Street, The Liberties until April 30th. Handmade art object, zines & cards accompanying the exhibition are available in shop.