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Fiona Byrne

I am an Irish artist living and working in Switzerland. In my practice I question how to navigate knowing and uncertainty. My work hoovers between the nervous anxiety of an unknown future, the mourning of forgotten pasts and a meditative state of acceptance. In short, how do we move through the world, and what guides us.

Q&A

Artist Statement

In my practice I question how we navigate uncertainty. I am interested in how different people have sought to understand the world: through religion and faith; through science and logic; through tacit skill and material; or through folklore and magic. How do we conceive of knowledge; what is valued and what is discarded? My artwork explores how beliefs and choices related to knowledge shape out perception of the world. It offers a space for reflection and reframing of our position. Simone Weil believes that at the moment we view a beautiful object we give up our imaginary position as the centre. The art object acting as a portal to another location or position, allowing the observer to see the world differently.

What craft do you work with?

Making and thinking in glass

What inspires you to work with this craft?

I create meditative forms which are an invitation to reconnect with how we understand the world. They are prompts, points of reference, beacons. My training is in the traditional craft techniques of glass, as a result I am closely connected to process and materiality. During the process of creating I embed tacit knowledge within the objects. The combination of material choice and meditative making time invested in each piece reflects the themes of the work, translating ideas into artefacts.

How do you start your creative process?

I am a researcher and generally start with an investigation into a theme or subject matter that fascinates me. From this exploration I create pieces which contain information, clues to the stories I have been exploring. They are not literal translations but rather objects that invite reflection and interpretation.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

Glass is a great medium for creative expression – it can be used in so many different ways depending on the stories you want to tell. It also offers a balance of the immediacy of techniques such as glass blowing and more slower kiln and cold working techniques. I like to use a mix of these in my work, using the finishes and feel that suit the particular work.