Dee Byrne

TU Dublin

Project Statement:

The Woman, The Witch and The Wanderer

Ireland has a uniquely powerful relationship with magic, a connection grounded in a long history of ritual practices, folktales and superstition. Recently, there has been a significant resurgence in the number of people drawn to nature-based and pagan spiritual practices. This project explores the reclamation of Earth magic amongst women in Ireland in three parts. The first part, ‘The Woman’,  takes the form of portraiture created in dialogue with a number of current magic practitioners, including druids, witches, and pagans. The second strand, ‘The Witch’, dives into the unique character of the witch archetype in Irish history, through an activation of the image archive. The final chapter, ‘The Wanderer’, is a reflection on my own relationship to this material as I interact with pieces of nature foraged from locations associated with witches and sacred pagan sites.

– Dee Byrne

Artist Bio:

I am an Irish photographic artist, currently based in Dublin. My practice often explores themes relating to womanhood, the body and spiritual beliefs. My visual narratives are constructed with a particular focus on the tactile nature of the photographic object and are often accompanied by text. I like to bring a sense of intimacy to the forefront of my photographic process, emphasising the connection between the camera, the photographer, the subject and its audience.