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I am not looking for, I use what I have around me. When I see something then my ideas born, but also everything starts from myself.

Ciara Beckers is a young artist and in my opinion artist – pioneer because she explores the thing which nobody seems to notice. Her art is very simple but also a bit of surrealistic. I met Ciara last year at the Tiny Traders Village market. While we met again for an interview, I thought that she has something similar to Salvador Dali who was fascinated with revealing deepest ego.

Introspective cow journey

When I lived in Donegal and study Graphic Design, every day when I was revealing the curtains I had cows living next to me. So I developed a relationship with them, more than with people at the time as there was not much to do in that town but go to pubs. In Donegal, my introspective cow journey began, over the next few years, I was creating art with developing the theme of cows and the cosmos.

My love for cows came from I think perceiving as quiet, docile social creatures, often overlooked, and always there on the side-lines but never thought about and either ignored or abused, only considered in terms of as how they can serve us in the form of being eaten. Since leaving college early, while all my friends and most people I knew were studying, I really began to identify with the cow, as I was also living on the side-lines. I made T-shirts printed of my “cow appreciation” illustration and some other products which I sell online.  

I was always a bit of a recluse so the cow finding it is a place of belonging in the cosmic world was my sort of unearthing exploration of how I felt and where I felt at home.

At that time, I wanted to interest people in cows, so I designed cow stickers and glued them to city lanterns and bridges. But when the “vegan fashion” appeared in Ireland, I stopped doing it because I did not want someone perceived this cow sticker for push to not to eat meat.

At Home with the Unknown

I always found peace in drawing and creating, it used to calm my body and mind instantly when I was growing up and in a distressing environment. ‘At Home with the Unknown’ was a project I was working on and  I had a little exhibition in the Secret Garden Café in Galway last year. They were small illustrations through which I was exploring my detachment from my surroundings and people and feeling more at home with the Universe, the unseen. So the introspective cow journey from the beginning has been cathartic for me!

Usefulness Art Crafts

I grew up in a very eco-conscious, but simultaneously hoarding home, so I was always making things from materials that were already in the house, or not used for years. Most of the products I have made are using repurposed materials, like little bottles for homemade perfumes, card paper, wool and fabric from old clothes that I have found and cut up.

That is how Ciara started to make separate pockets. They are square made of nice and light materials. When I first time saw them on Ciara’s stall I did not know how to use them. Ciara explained to me that you can attach the pocket where you need, to the skirt, to the shorts, to the bag. They are so useful, and to be honest, the skirts or dresses usually have no pockets.

Ciara made also colourful gloves for putting on the handlebars of bikes.

I cycle a lot and cycling against the rain stormy cold weather was so much cosier and warmer and less miserable with something soft to hold on to.

In Ciara’s artistic craft, I like the simplicity and closeness to nature

At her stall I also found wooden necklaces with delicate plants and colourful straps to hang around the neck. As a teenager, I loved such jewellery. I was making corals from kidney bean. I like the idea of using natural things for decorations, just like various tribes used to do for centuries.

Ciara brought light wood from La Palma, where she used to live. On the wood she placed dried flowers which she used to collect as a ten year old. To make more necklets she began using wood from tree branches that had fallen during a storm.

Unique cards

For years Ciara also makes cards. Many of them have cow, cosmos or sea motives. They are handmade and the cosmic background is the result of the experiment process made by Ciara.

I would create cards image by making sort of collage. I created a marbled planetary effect for cosmic themed and canvases using spray paints, water and oil, making container baths for printing large sheets of paper that I would cut out of using various sized lids I’d saved and reuse as stencils. Or I would handprint backgrounds using paint and stitch onto these after. I enjoyed the whole process because it was exploration for me, allowed me to enjoy it and develop. However things came out would be okay because I’d use the result in some way to my advantage. I wasn’t attached to end result coming out a particular way, so the process was a flow. Each batch of print would be a merged effort of what I wanted and how the materials wanted to interact with each other too.

On the cards Ciara also creates the star constellations from a colourful string and sews them to the paper. I have framed and hanged in my room, already two cards which I got from her.

In Artsolation – online exhibition

Everyone feels different the pandemic time. And I guess art maybe became more important.

Now, I feel that more things come to me in a way. I used to live kind of hermetic. But also I feel stronger in the community and I feel more support from people, online, more community, than before. I feel more network and I would like to collaborate more with other artists. One friend asked me to participate in the online exhibition In Artsolation – he made it as an opportunity of Artspace where artists can show their work during the lockdown. 

Ciara presents at this exhibition the macro photography of mushrooms. This kind of photography plays an important role in her art, too.

I am very satisfied with the simple things in my life. There is lots of space for creation in limitation.

Ciara Bekers reminds me to always look at what I have close to me instead of running to the store for new materials.

The images which I used in this article made by Ciara Beckers. All rights reserved.

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The images which I used in this article made by Ciara Beckers. All rights reserved.

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Thank You!