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©Mike Hourigan
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©Michelle Hurson

Frances Crowe

  • Tapestry maker
  • Roscommon, Ireland
  • Master Artisan
Frances Crowe Tapestry maker
©Keith Nolan

Weaving herself into the work

  • • Frances hand weaves using the Goblin method
  • • She meticulously plans each piece
  • • Her work is socially and politically engaged

A skilled craftsperson with over 35 years’ experience, Frances Crowe is one of only a handful of tapestry weavers in Ireland. Her compositions tell complex stories. She wants her pieces to encourage empathy and dialogue around contemporary themes, be it climate change or separation due to emigration. She creates personal landscapes which represent global events. Her works are characterised by their unusual finishes often leaving her pieces raw to reflect the rawness of the subject matter. Environmentally conscious, Frances uses eco-friendly threads, sourced locally and often hand dyed. She feels the splendid isolation of being at one with her craft simulates personal growth as her tapestries physically grow at her fingertips.

Read the full interview

Works

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Photo: ©All rights reserved
Warming Oceans (panel 1)

This handwoven tapestry wall hanging is the first panel in a group of six, recording the warming of the oceans. It represents sea grass which is replacing the coral reefs disrupting the ecosystem. It is woven on an upright loom using a cotton warp with eight ends per inch and a wool weft. The colour scheme is a mixture of warm and cool greens.

Length 156 cm
Width 26 cm
Height 22 cm

Photo: ©All rights reserved
Warming Oceans (panel 3)

This handwoven tapestry wall hanging is the third panel in a group of six, recording the warming of the oceans. For marine life, two irreversible challenges posed by climate change are increasing water temperatures and ocean acidification. The colour scheme is warm greens moving through to cool blues, with yellow and orange shaped flying fish shapes.

Length 156 cm
Width 26 cm
Height 22 cm

Photo: ©All rights reserved
Warming Oceans (panel 4)

This handwoven tapestry wall hanging is the fourth panel in a group of six, recording the warming of the oceans. These underwater animals are the building blocks of life for our oceans and if their populations were to decrease it would disrupt the entire marine food web. The colour scheme is greens and blues, with orange and rust fish shapes swimming towards the right.

Length 156 cm
Width 26 cm
Height 22 cm

Photo: ©All rights reserved
Warming Oceans (panel 6)

This handwoven tapestry wall hanging is the sixth and final panel in a group of six, recording the warming of the oceans. It represents how climate change is already impacting on human health. Changes in weather and climate patterns can put lives at risk. Rising sea levels causes human displacement. These little male swimmers are woven in bright colours against shades of blue yarn.

Length 156 cm
Width 26 cm
Height 22 cm

Photo: ©All rights reserved
Warming Oceans (panel 5)

This handwoven tapestry wall hanging is the fifth panel in a group of six, recording the warming of the oceans. It represents how climate change is already impacting on human health. Changes in weather and climate patterns can put lives at risk. Rising sea levels causes human displacement. These little female swimmers are woven in bright colours against shades of blue yarn.

Length 156 cm
Width 26 cm
Height 22 cm

Enjoy an experience with Frances Crowe

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