Katheryn Smyth
she/her
WAR/CONFLICT
Having lived abroad in war-torn countries for a number of years, and during the conflict on the island of Ireland, I have witnessed the devastation that war and conflict bring. Current global events have prompted me to address the realities of everyday life within a warzone.
I chose watercolour as a medium because it was historically used to document wars before the introduction of modern technology, as seen in the work of François Flameng during World War I, for example.
I used natural fabrics as my canvases, including jute/burlap, cotton towelling, and 140lb paper. These materials are precarious and unpredictable, reflecting the instability of day-to-day life within a warzone. Burlap was, and continues to be, widely used in military uniforms, referencing the paraphernalia of army life. Turkish towelling broadly references the design of the headdress, the keffiyeh, seen throughout the Middle East.
The work maintains an awareness of the strife and horror of war across these regions — a constant presence throughout my lifetime.
War/Conflict 1, watercolour on cotton towelling, 89 x 64 cm.
War/Conflict 2, Watercolour on cotton towelling, 89 x 64 cm, 2026.
War/Conflict 3, watercolour on Burlap, approx 121 x 61 cm.
War/Conflict 4, watercolour on burlap with acrylic cut out, 40 x 58 cm.
War/Conflict 5, watercolour on burlap, 40 x 58 cm.
War/Conflict 6, watercolour on 140lb paper, 60 x 42 cm.
War/Conflict 7, watercolour on 140lb paper, 60 x 42 cm.
War/Conflict 8, watercolour on 4 x A3 with Dee-Shackles, 86 x 61 cm.
War/Conflict 9, watercolour on 140lb paper, 42 x 30 cm.
War/Conflict 10, watercolour on 140lb paper, 60 x 42 cm.
Research
Dee-Shackle Study, pencil on paper, 21 x 29.7 cm.
War/Conflict 3, work in progress.