Dorothy Ann Daly
b. 1969, Ireland/Germany
The shamrocks are pinned to the wall at random, thus creating a pattern similar to a field of flowers. At first glance it is not immediately clear that they are shamrocks.
Living in Berlin I am very aware of my Irish identity, and for me, as an artist, using Irish crochet in my work helps to create a link to my home and past. It is depressing how some people in Ireland are unable to welcome foreigners and refugees into the country. As I am one of the many Irish living abroad I’m conscious of what being a foreigner can mean.
The shamrock, often a kitschy and overused symbol of Irishness, doesn’t always have to be green. My multi-coloured shamrocks are a reference to the rainbow with the elusive leprechaun and his crock of gold, and to Ireland’s multiculturalism today, and the issues it raises.
(Text: on the border of each other catalogue, 2003)
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