Katie Maher Ryan
The One and Only
Projects
During my time at Limerick School of Art and Design, my work grew through experimentation, questioning, and figuring things out as I went.
As an interdisciplinary artist, I’ve always been interested in moving between materials and approaches, allowing the concept to guide the medium rather than the other way around.
Each year pushed me in different ways, technically and conceptually, and helped me understand what kind of work I’m drawn to making. What started as learning processes and materials gradually became more personal and intentional. I began exploring themes around memory, place and belonging through material exploration, using research and making as a way to reflect and respond.
Final Year Project
My final year project explored the experience of moving house and the emotional weight we attach to objects and spaces.
I was interested in how items filled with memory and meaning can, over time or through displacement, return to being just objects again. The work reflects on the idea that home is not a fixed place, but a feeling we carry with us.
3rd Year Project
This project delves into the relationship between space, architecture, and emotion, exploring the concept of 'home' and the impact of mass production on personal experiences. It reflects on the meaning of 'home', the emotional layers of space, and the challenge of individuality in mass-produced housing estates.
2rd Year Project
My second-year project explored the idea of “roots”
the traces left behind by those who came before us. I explored the marks my ancestors left through buildings, names, and the family tree, and connected this to the idea that everything leaves a mark on the world, whether permanent or temporary.
The work considered how these traces shift, fade, or transform over time.
Portfoilo
In 2020, I completed a Post-Leaving Certificate course at Coláiste Mhuire Thurles, developing my portfolio through painting, print, graphics, sculpture, ceramics, and interdisciplinary exploration.
