Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire
On Show 2020
Jennifer Kerins

Some stories lose their meaning when they’re told through words, these stories are better told through image. My two biggest passions are storytelling and art, and my practice combines the two by telling stories through image making. It is important to me that my work contains a personal narrative, so I draw on my own experiences to create my work. I tell my stories through image because it is a way for me to document them without necessarily giving away all of my secrets, all good stories leave room for a little mystery.
My project is a series of mixed media images that collectively deal with the idea of escapism. I have made images through paint, pencil, fine liner and collage that reference the idea that ‘ignorance is bliss’. As someone who worries a lot, it would be nice to be able to stay ignorant to some of the more troubling things in life, I am creating fictional spaces in which to hide from these worries. By combining imagery of unease with childlike innocence, I aim to portray the carefree nature of a child. My works are playful and even a little bit cheeky. A lot of the objects in my work are personal comforts of mine, little things I use to put my mind at ease. Other objects are subtly threatening, they hint at the possibility of a darker storyline.