Ursula Halpin

22 September – 20 October 2017

Ursula Halpin Halpin’s practice spans glass, textiles and sculpture. In her exhibition Náire Orthu (Shame on you all) Halpin explores how her family traditions of craft have assisted in overcoming generations of inherited trauma and shame applying outcomes to researching the narratives of Irish female migrants to Australia post famine 1848–1855, particularly the women of the Earl Grey Scheme. Using glass material incorporating textiles, in particular Irish lace and Irish crochet-lace, Halpin’s practice looks at developing a new feminist discourse. Through autobiographical narratives Halpin examines how making has assisted in transcending, estrangement, loss of identity and culture as a result of experiencing abjection through historical and contemporary immigration.

Ursula Halpin was born in Dublin, Ireland. In 1991 she moved to Galway to study a Diploma of Fine Art at the Galway and Mayo Institute of Technology majoring in Printmaking before taking a break to raise her daughter. Moving to Australia in 1998, Halpin found herself an isolated young mother living in regional South Australia. In 2005 a series of bush fires in Port Lincoln proved to be the catalyst to return to city and university dividing her time between motherhood and study. Halpin graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts Honours (First class) from University of South Australia. Her work has been exhibited locally at SASA Gallery, Nexus, Seedling Art Space and Fontanelle and nationally at SCU, ANU and Wagga National Glass Gallery (NSW). Halpin completed a masterclass in Kenmare lace with Nora Finnegan in Kenmare Ireland in 2016; received of the 2016 Graduate in Residence by Canberra Glassworks (ACT) undertaken in March and April of 2017 and the Helpmann Academy Mentorship with artist Kirstie Rea.

Ursula Halpin held Craft Making Sessions on Saturday October 7 and Sunday October 8, 2-4pm

Images by Grant Hancock.