Colleen Baker

Postage stamps are among the smallest yet most widely circulated forms of visual culture. My research examines how Irish postage stamps issued between 1922 and 1966 constructed ideas of national identity and historical memory following independence.

Working with archival material from the National Irish Visual Arts Library, I became particularly interested in how archives preserve both official narratives and overlooked alternatives, including rejected stamp designs and unrealised representations of the nation. Through these everyday printed objects, I explore the relationship between visual culture, state power, and collective memory, alongside my wider interest in archival practice and material history.

Following graduation from NCAD, I hope to further this research through postgraduate study in archival studies and related work within museums, libraries, or cultural institutions.