ST. DIABHAL DISCUSSES THEIR PRACTICE AND WORK IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN MYTHOLOGY, HISTORY, AND A NEW CELTIC REVIVAL.

Evolution of Practice

I’ve always drawn to art, for as long as I can remember. Art was the one thing I truly loved and felt I could excel at. I wasn’t the most academic in school, but art was the subject I poured my energy into. It was the one area where I felt confident, and it showed – I earned an A in art for my Leaving Cert, which really highlighted where my focus lay. After school, I pursued a PLC course in Kilkenny before moving on to study at the Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD).

In college, I continued to draw, but early on, many of my tutors advised me to move away from this style of art, thinking it wasn’t the most interesting path. I then shifted towards photography and lens-based media, working a lot with video and photography. This opened up a new passion for styling and creating characters, often using myself and my friends as subjects. However, the themes of folklore, witchcraft, and even online character creation continued to emerge in my work.

These themes, I believe, have deep roots in my childhood. I spent a lot of time playing with dolls, which was something I kept to myself, as I was quite ashamed of it at the time. But as I grew older and became more comfortable with my identity, especially as a gay man, I realised that these characters I created were an important part of my personal journey. In a way, my art today is still about creating these imaginary figures, transforming them into something meaningful.

Over time, my practice has evolved significantly. I’ve experimented with various styles, but I’ve now reached a place where I feel that I’ve successfully merged all of my interests – my love of folklore and myth, alongside my passion for fashion and pop culture – into one cohesive artistic vision.

History, Folklore, and Mythology

Irish history, folklore, and mythology are at the heart of my artistic practice. Growing up, I was captivated by the mysticism of these stories. They added an enchanting element to everyday life, transforming the mundane into something extraordinary. As a child, I often retreated into my own imagination, creating worlds full of creatures and characters. This became a form of escape, allowing me to sit for hours drawing and painting the myths that fascinated me.

Living in rural Ireland, I was surrounded by stories passed down from my grandparents about fairies, ancient spirits, and other mystical beings. My family would often take us on day trips to ancient castles and woods, which fuelled my imagination. I would envision gods, goddesses, and otherworldly figures inhabiting the ruins and landscapes around me.

As a child of my generation, I was drawn to the mythology of other cultures – Egyptian and Greek myths, along with magical worlds in movies like Harry Potter. In a way, Irish folklore felt almost embarrassing to embrace, reduced to symbols like leprechauns and shamrocks. But as I grew older, I began to delve deeper into our native folklore, shifting my perspective from seeing it as something outdated to something vibrant and meaningful. I was amazed by its richness and complexity, and I realised that there is so much to discover. Even today, I feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface, with years of exploration ahead of me.

Ancient Myths for Today

In the early days of my work, I didn’t have a set style – I found myself bouncing from one interest to the next. But over time, I’ve developed a consistent theme in my art, which mostly stems from research into folklore. My long-haired characters, for example, are inspired by the Banshee, known for her long hair that she would comb endlessly. I’ve also drawn inspiration from the gold jewellery found in archaeological sites across Ireland and other Gaelic regions. But for me, the goal has been to reimagine these ancient artefacts in a contemporary context.

I wanted to see what would happen if an Instagram influencer had travelled back in time, posing atop the Hill of Tara, decked out in ancient torcs and brooches. This idea of blending ancient history with modern-day aesthetics fascinates me – what would our traditions look like if they hadn’t been lost or overlooked, but rather evolved alongside us?

The colours I use are often inspired by nature and the Irish tricolour. The flag’s palette of green, orange, and white has been a foundational colour scheme in my work. I gravitate towards these natural tones, such as greens, oranges, browns, and golds. However, I also enjoy adding pops of neon here and there, which is a little nod to my school days, when I would cover my notebooks in sketches with bright highlighters.

Having spent half of my life in the countryside and now living in the city, I feel like I have a unique perspective on urban life. Limerick is my new home, and it’s where I began the journey that has shaped my work today. I’ve always known I wanted to move to the city because I didn’t fully feel like myself in the country. But now, at this stage of my life, I’ve developed a deep love for both rural and urban life.

What I want to convey through my work is that there’s culture to be found in both rural and urban settings. Limerick itself is a blend of the old and new, which mirrors my work. I try to mix the modern elements of the city with the ancient traditions to show how our heritage can evolve and thrive in today’s world, without being lost in time.

A New Celtic Revival

I’d like to think that I’m contributing to a modern Celtic revival, as that’s definitely a goal of mine – to reimagine the stories and characters of the past that could otherwise be lost to time. These ancient figures and myths often remain in their original settings, not given new life in our contemporary world. Through my work, I want to highlight that Irish culture is not only important but also cool – as cringey as it might sound. Our mythology is a vast, never-ending pool of stories that anyone can explore, if they’re interested.

It’s inspiring to see so many other artists embracing this movement as well. Artists are taking symbols like the Claddagh design and turning them into modern icons of Irish fashion, moving beyond their association with tourist shops and souvenirs. I think it’s essential to celebrate the positive aspects of our history, while of course, not ignoring the more challenging parts. Irish artists today are doing a great job of balancing this, and I’m proud to be part of that conversation.

Merch and the Contemporary Artist

I’ve always had a love for fashion, and it was definitely a driving force in my work, especially in my earlier years, when I focused a lot on fashion illustration. So, it felt almost inevitable that I would eventually explore the world of merchandise. I wanted to find a way to bring my art to life and make it wearable, allowing people to own a piece of my work in a practical way. I also love seeing how people style my merch – it’s exciting to see how others interpret my designs.

I do believe that merch has become an important necessity for artists today. It provides an outlet to sell work on a larger scale than a single art piece would. Being a self-employed artist is challenging enough, but merch gives artists the chance to create something beautiful that people can wear, while also supporting the artist’s practice financially.

Up Coming

Right now, my main focus is continuing to develop the world I’ve created. I want to bring it more to life, and I feel that animation is where my passion lies at the moment. I’m largely self-taught in animation, and while it’s more challenging than working with still images, it’s a medium I’m really excited to explore further. So, for me, the goal is to continue honing my skills in animation and push myself in that direction.

I’ve also been working on creating a set of tarot cards, and I plan to release a physical deck soon that people can use. Tarot has fascinated me for a long time, and I feel that it fits so naturally with the themes of mythology and the occult that are central to my work. My mind often races with ideas, so it’s sometimes hard to focus on just one thing, but I think I’ll keep exploring new ventures and see what resonates with me and my audience the most.

St. Diabhal is a visual artist whose work investigates Irish history and folklore and the strong role of masculinity and female empowerment within these stories.

@st.diabhal

diabhal666.bigcartel.com

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BEBHINN EILISH DISCUSSES HER WORK AND PRACTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN MYTHOLOGY, HISTORY, AND A NEW CELTIC REVIVAL.

Evolution of Practice

I’ve always been an artist, of course not professionally, but ever since I was young, I have struggled to identify myself beyond being a creative. Thankfully, as a child, my mam nurtured my artistic ability, and, more importantly, never doubted my talent.

I got my degree in Graphic Design, and learned very valuable skills that enhance my practice. I’m very happy to be a self-taught artist; had I studied fine art, my practice could have evolved in a completely different way.

Although I always considered myself an artist, I didn’t get started as a painter until 2021 when I lost my mam. I was an unemployed recent graduate, amidst the pandemic, and had been my mam’s carer for years. I had lost my forever muse – the greatest love I’d ever known, and the only way I could begin to process and move through the grief was to paint. Over the last four years, my style, subject matter, skillset, and materials have changed countless times, and although they will continue to evolve, I finally feel like I have my vision as an artist. Over the last two years, my themes have stayed consistent: grief and death, cultural taboos surrounding women and the female body, myths and folklore, symbolism and iconography, and a lot of personal talismans. I have also ventured into silversmithing and performance art, and it has been interesting to see how my work translates across these mediums.

History, Folklore, and Mythology

Since I was young, I have loved Ireland’s folklore, mythology, and history. Tales of Ireland’s past, both mythological and factual, were read to me by my mam. She had a keen interest in Irish history and named me after Bé Binn inion Urchadh – the mother of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland. These stories ultimately ignited a curiosity in me that continues to grow. I love how storytelling allows us to connect with and enter a realm beyond our own. This is something I try to emulate in my work.

The symbolism in ancient Irish motifs, alongside the intricate and deeply fascinating customs surrounding death in prehistoric Ireland, are most influential to my practice, as they are deeply rooted in grief.

Ancient Myths for Today

In Irish folklore, a lot of these characters are written about in great detail, but not all are visually imagined to accompany these stories. I like the idea, just like when reading a book, that the reader builds an image of the characters and space in their minds eye – that’s what I enjoy doing with folklore.

Folklore has and always will inspire both creatives and admirers. I think the interplay between past tales and contemporary art is extremely interesting and valuable, and will undoubtedly remain a catalyst for many artists for years to come.

I’d also like to mention how influential and inspirational Irish mythological figures can be on contemporary audiences. There’s an excellent piece written by Sharon Blackie for the Irish Times in 2019, on how Irish myth and folklore can inspire women to fight for ecological change, centred around one of my favourites, the Cailleach – a divine hag who fights the exploitation of the animals and the land.

A New Celtic Revival

I’d like to think I’m amongst the many artists who are preserving our cultural heritage, by helping to ensure the continuation and appreciation of these rich cultural traditions. I have definitely connected many with Irish folklore by sharing my work on social media, particularly from my last ‘Inktober’ series, where I depicted four Irish mythical beasts, each week for the month of October. During this series, someone online asked if I had created these characters and stories – I only wish I was that genius. However, this has inspired me to consider what mythological beasts I would invent for the world today – perhaps the seed for a future project.

Women, History, and Myth

There are many reasons why I love Irish folklore, but most important to me is its portrayal of strange, strong, and terrifying women. In pre-Christian Ireland, the divine female almost entirely dominates these stories. Female gods and mythical beings show a culture where women were central to society, in positions of power, and were regarded as the essence of all life, like the goddess Danú – the mother goddess of all Celtic gods and of the Tuatha De Danann (an ancient, magical people of Ireland). These powerful women, such as Danú, and devious tricksters like the Púca, are muses for my work.

I feel that women in Irish folklore are depicted more honestly than in myths of other cultures I’ve familiarised myself with. They show women to be morally complex, and often speak to the darker side of femininity: the repressed power, their surfacing rage, and the repercussions that has on the environment. I am a big fan of the many acts of retribution in Irish folklore, like Macha cursing the men of Ulster with harrowing pains of childbirth in their hour of need as punishment for making her race with horses while pregnant. Or the Dearg Due rising from the dead to suck the life from every man to do her wrong. These folktales bring a consciousness to the many attributes and skills of the great might of the feminine.

Merch and the Contemporary Artist

I’ve been really enjoying seeing other creatives express themselves in a way that invites, particularly new, audiences into the world of Irish design, but as an artist who primarily works as a painter, I have conflicting views on the topic – beyond environmental and consumerism concerns.

Merch is a great way for artists to diversify their income streams and stay financially sustainable. I’ve done it myself to stabilise my income, but I wish I didn’t have to depend on, or even consider these things. It’s beautiful and exciting – practically a walking promo of your work – and I’m honoured people like my work enough to wear it, but it can also feel a little underwhelming. My dream as an artist is to sustain myself through traditional revenue streams, like selling original paintings and prints, but unfortunately it’s not that simple. I feel forced to consider these avenues just to fund my work and feed myself. I don’t want to sound pessimistic, and I do love merch objectively, but sometimes it just feels like I am focusing too much on the marketability of my work, rather than what I want to create, and that just doesn’t sit right with me.

Coming Up

I am working on several different projects at the moment, some I’ve had on the back burner for years, and others I’ve been developing alongside. I think the reason I split my time between different projects that involve different mediums is to keep myself interested; if one is making me overwhelmed, I can easily switch to another, temporarily. A lot of my work is also very personal and I have to put myself in a place of emotional discomfort in order to pull from the source, so being able to refocus my energy elsewhere for a while is ideal. An example of this is my ongoing, and unseen, body of work entitled ‘I died with you’, which is an exploration of my own identity and self-discovery in my journey through grief after losing my mam. This body of work incorporates a lot of traditional ancient Irish motifs and is heavily influenced by practices surrounding death in Irish prehistory. I am also working on my ‘Etheric’ tarot deck, paper clay sculptures, and I’ve recently started jewellery school – I can’t wait to share what I’ve made.

Bebhinn Eilish is an artist and designer with an interest in grief, feminism, and Irish mythology.

@bebhinn_eilish

bebhinneilish.com

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AOIFE CAWLEY DISCUSSES HER WORK AND PRACTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN MYTHOLOGY, HISTORY, AND A NEW CELTIC REVIVAL.

Evolution of Practice

I have always been a creative person and I did art in school, but I really did not enjoy it. There is only so many times one can be forced to draw a still life of a pencil using only pencils! I think my art education in school was just drawing realistically, which I hated and I didn’t really gain an understanding of other processes. I went to the University of Limerick for two years to study French, German, and Irish. I dropped out after two years, but to be fair to me, I was only 17 when I started, plus I was sold a dream of travelling and working in the EU if I did languages!

I stayed living in Limerick, working full time in retail jobs, and I was quite unhappy. I was friends with a lot of people studying in Limerick School of Art and Design and seeing what they were making and what art could be. At the time, I took 35mm photos on a point and shoot, and uploaded them to Instagram. My group was really encouraging of this and said “You know you can do this at art college.”

At the time of my portfolio course, universities in Scotland were free to EU students. I got accepted into the Contemporary Art Practice undergraduate course at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. I did two years online (as I started right at the beginning of the pandemic) and did my final two years in person. I graduated last year in 2024.

I really like to highlight this story, as my journey to becoming an artist was not that straight forward. I would like people to know that there is a way around and into everything. It might not be the easiest or shortest route, but if you are determined, you will get there. I especially wish I could tell this to my younger self.

History, Folklore, and Mythology

My practice relies heavily on each of these strands. I think they’re all extremely relevant to each other too, and I’m interested in how they interact. For example, history can often be mythologised. I spent some time last summer on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and became fascinated by one of the first recorded, and devastating, Viking attacks in Britain. Contemporary accounts of the time record how “fiery dragons” were seen in the sky while it took place. The lives of saints, such as Patrick, Brigid, or Colmcille, are so wrapped up in this incredible folklore that it becomes difficult to see the historically accurate figures anymore. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I would argue that the added elements of fantasy are in fact positive as they keep these events or figures alive. It also provides me with fantasy-like visions of the past that make it extremely easy to illustrate.

Ancient Styles for Today

I like to use colours that I am attracted to. If I go to a gallery and there is something bright and colourful, it is more than likely going to be my favourite piece in the exhibition. I began using a lot of fluorescent pink in my work, simply because it was my favourite colour. I then discovered that there was also a fluorescent orange and green and that they all worked together.

I think these bright and bold colours really lend themselves to my work for a number of reasons. The neon inks have a glow reminiscent of stained glass and illuminated manuscripts – media prominently used during medieval times. It is easy for people to forget how colourful the past was; for example, the Book of Kells is still remarked for its colour. If those monks had access to neon colours, they probably would have used them. I think that my medieval style of drawing is very accessible to contemporary audiences.

A New Celtic Revival

The inspiration for a lot of my work and designs comes from Celtic and medieval histories. I wrote my dissertation in university on the Irish Arts and Crafts movement to give myself a better understanding of why these symbols and stories are so linked with our national identity. I think, because of this time period, we have a very strong visual branding, but it is really cool to see other contemporary artists breathe new life into this genre in what has been described as a ‘Celtic Revival’. The artists and illustrators involved in this new wave demonstrate a diverse range of interpretations; they have really varied views on what St Brigid looked like, for example.

At the heart of my work is educating others and sharing my knowledge and research with a wider audience. I want to highlight the significance of these stories to our culture and identity and despite sometimes being thousands of years old, how they can be moulded into a contemporary contexts and meanings.

Women, History, and Myth

Women are central to my work, but I wouldn’t say I’m that interested in putting a spotlight on women from mythology, but more so from history. My ‘Mná na hÉireann’ risograph postcard set was born through frustration of there being a lack of representation of our female patriots, revolutionary leaders, patrons, and thinkers of the early 20th century. We were given a summer project while in university to identify a statue in our locality and to tear it down, amend it, or to just build a new one completely. It became quickly apparent that there were no statues in Limerick City of a named woman, and this really frustrated me. I had discovered that Kathleen Clarke’s (née Daly) family home was just up the road from me, but no statue, bust, or plaque could be seen anywhere. The only image of Maud Gonne I had seen was that of a muse for WB Yeats, not as the founder of Irish language and culture organisations for women. I began my research into the many women that fought alongside the men during the revolutionary period, and I wanted them to be honoured in the same way the men were. On postcards, posters, and other printed material.

As for women featured in stories of mythology, I do find that their playing field is a bit level to the men’s. Of course the goddesses have their powers, but it is usually the everyday woman that is overlooked in these stories. I recently read some retellings of the Iliad from Greek mythology that focused on the point of view from just the everyday women and their treatment through these mythological/legendary wars and it has made me reconsider the ‘heroes’ we focus on. Do we look past their treatment of women just because they were the best warriors in all of Ireland/Greece? Maybe we should apply this thinking in a real life context too.

Merch and the Contemporary Artist

I am constantly being told that my designs, like my scarves, are spotted everywhere, but I am yet to see one myself out in the wild. Maybe I don’t leave the house as much as I should!

I am extremely grateful that I have this ‘merch’ aspect to my practice, as it heavily funds what I would consider my ‘fine art’ practice. Without the scarves or stickers or my commissions for businesses and companies, I definitely would not be able to create screen prints of up to 20 layers. I would not be able to have the time to put all my effort into research, reading, recording, and visiting what truly inspires my work. I would not be able to afford my print studio fees, materials, my rent, or my bills.

I think that maybe some people would think that the merch would ‘cheapen’ their practice, but I don’t think that is fair to say. I think it makes the work more accessible. I am also very aware of the age range of the people who support my work, and how purchasing a fine art screen print of mine might not be possible at the moment due to the cost of living crisis. But by purchasing a scarf or a sticker, you can acquire art more easily.

Coming Up

I always have so many ideas and plans backlogged until the time is right. I might learn a new technique or a composition will come to me as a vision. For example, I have always been interested in the Táin Bó Cuailigne, and even debated creating a massive print of the battle for my degree show, but it just didn’t feel right. I was recently passing through Dublin airport and passed one of the Irish tourist tat shops and they were blasting Dearg Doom by the Horslips. That’s when it came to me, this vision of Cú Chulainn standing fiercely, Queen Medb lurking over the battlefield like a puppeteer. I am now currently working on the drawings for a series of screen prints.

I read the Canterbury Tales recently and found the introduction section where Chaucer introduces all the pilgrims in detailed description very visually stimulating. How each traveller nearly matched their horse in appearance and how each pilgrim matched their story. I would love to take on a huge project where I illustrate a scene from each of their stories along with the full troop on their way to Canterbury.

But like I said, I am working from a backlog of ideas that are slowly but surely making their way through. I was very fortunate to be awarded funding from the Royal Scottish Academy for my degree show work to spend 12 weeks in Florence. I am extremely looking forward to that trip as I can only imagine the inspiration I will gain from the city’s history.

Aoife Cawley is a printmaker and textiles artist from county Kildare, now working between Ireland and Scotland.

@aoifecawleyart

aoifecawleyart.com

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