Municipal Gallery dlr Lexicon

Fruity Bodies - exhibition of work by Joanna Hopkins

Fruity Bodies is now open at the Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon . The work explores folklore with landscape and the human form.

Gallery

In her work, Hopkins focuses on the female body, menstruation and native plants. She uses plants and plant dyes from her local hedgerows and fields in a wide range of media including sculpture, embroidery, photography and film. She makes abstract connections in her artworks between humans and nonhuman entities inspired by her local natural environment. 

Many images in the installation are produced by blackberries and the sun, and they will fade if placed in direct sunlight over time. In this instance, the sun both gives the image and takes away the image. Gallery 2 will feature a large hawthorn tree branch sculpture dotted and pierced with cotton and sheep’s wool, hand dyed with hawthorn leaves, blackberries, elderberries, briars, pinecones and bracken ferns.

About Joanna Hopkins 

Joanna Hopkins is an Irish artist working in video, collage, drawing, photography and installation. She has a research-based practice, often working site specifically, and has exhibited across Ireland, the UK, Europe, China and the US. Recent awards include Visual Artist Bursary Award Arts Council of Ireland 2023/2021, Create Collaborative Project Award 2024; Platform 31 Artist Award 2022; and Meath County Council Artist Award 2023/2022. 

press release Fruity Bodies exhibition February 2024.pdf
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Gallery
a leafless hawthorn tree is positioned in the centre of the photograph. It has lots of pink and yellow coloured cloth rags tied to it. The tree is windblown and leans to the right of the picture frame. The foreground of the image shows green grass; there is a wire fence behind the tree and in the distance are hills, farmland and some houses

On The Rag Tree, digital print

On The Rag Tree, digital print

Joanna, to the right of the frame, has red/brown hair tied up. she wears a dark cable knit jumper and is looking down at a sketchpad resting on the windowsill. she sits on a wide windowsill painted a dark grey/black and has a selection of brushes, containers and small branches on it. in the distance through the windown behind her, is a street and a row of houses and shops

Joanna Hopkins at work in her studio

Joanna Hopkins at work in her studio

a woman stands in the foreground of a misty landscape. A curly pink wig completely covers her head and face. her arms are by her side and she wears a light pink t-shirt and dark trousers. She stands on green grass, to the right of the frame a long tree branch extends across above her head

The Cailleach Bhearra 1, Joanna Hopkins

The Cailleach Bhearra 1, Joanna Hopkins

a large hawthorn branch is suspended by fishing line which is barely visible. The branch hangs about 1metre off the ground in the centre of the Gallery. It is dotted and pierced with cotton and sheep’s wool, hand dyed with hawthorn leaves, blackberries, elderberries, briars, pinecones and bracken ferns. It is lit from above by spotlights.

It's considered unlucky to bring a hawthorn branch inside, or to cut one down, 2023, Sculpture photo: Stedman Photography

It's considered unlucky to bring a hawthorn branch inside, or to cut one down, 2023, Sculpture

photo: Stedman Photography

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