Shannon Gunning
Ag Canadh ar an Talamh
My project is about land and music, following the themes of sustainability and heritage.
My research begins at our sacred sites in Éire, including Loughcrew, Brú na Bóinne, Knowth and Dowth, finding inspiration from meaningful symbols of land and water depicted on 4500 BC stones.
I have chosen to work with natural yarns and fibres, along with a natural dye journey throughout. The development of my project has grown towards lyrics and rhythm, following the ancestral stone art of water and its link to musical sound waves. I have incorporated three of my original songs and created a listening and design experience. Structures were designed through singing and simultaneously drawing freestyle woven patterns in correlation with the lyrics and emotions invoked.
The songs I have chosen are about ending oppression, reclamation after colonialism, and empowerment of the feminine energy of Ireland and the SWANA region. It is a fabric of lyrical and rhythmic prayer, intended to weave and bridge healing across these lands, which are woven within a supplementary warp.
