Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries

Aoife Wims 

BA [Hons] Art

Aoife Wims is an Irish artist from Westmeath. She has exhibited in IADT student shows such as Propositions (2022), and New Translations (2019) in IMMA. She was accepted as an Erasmus+ exchange student at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in Budapest. One of Aoife’s sculptures was chosen for Field Studies 2020, a collaboration between IADT and Electric Picnic. An enthusiastic festival volunteer, she hopes to continue working with decor teams for festivals like Body&Soul. Aoife plans to pursue a career as an art therapist by completing an MA in Art Therapy at Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork.

Project Description

My project explores how art can make a connection to the transcendent, offering an invitation to the divine by transforming mundane spaces. As an aspiring art therapist, my mission is to help people and encourage healing through the medium of art. Kandinsky taught us that the artist’s thoughts and feelings, when translated into art, have the power to affect the spiritual climate of their society. He believed that the artist is obligated to use their talent to make a positive impact, helping humanity toward collective enlightenment. In my project, I have used iridescent film to cover the windows of several college bathrooms, creating a colour-change effect that allows the unknown to shine through. These subtle yet impactful interventions aim to uplift the viewer and prompt a sense of awe and wonder. The audience is caught off guard and can experience a sense of the spiritual somewhere entirely unexpected.


The Spiritual in Abstract Art

In my thesis I discuss spirituality in abstract art. Spirituality typically involves a search for meaning and purpose in life. This body of research dives into abstraction as an art movement, and its connection to spirituality. Many modern and contemporary artists have used their creations to express spiritual truths. This thesis aims to prove that these creations and art practices are worthwhile, as they are serving the greater good. I include a chapter about the birth of abstraction and its connection to Theosophy. It features well known painters Kandinsky and Mondrian. Also highlighted are lesser-known female artists Agnes Pelton and Hilma af Klint, who used abstract art to explore and express their spirituality. The discussion then moves on to Abstract Expressionism and Mark Rothko. I give details about more contemporary abstract artists dealing with spirituality in their work. These artists include Sean Scully, Alex Grey and Allyson Grey. The importance of spiritual art’s resurgence today and the ways this particular art can be positively influential are shown. This thesis aims to prove that spiritual abstract art is vital.