Kerri Cleary
This body of work concerns a collection of imagined safe spaces through the lens of happy childhood memories. The aim of this project is to create an atmosphere that when studied will transport the viewer to a place in their memory where they may have similar childhood memories and experiences by combining symbolic elements of personal childhood memories and solidifying such through sculpture, fabrics and lighting. The project took a long time to finalise but I am more than happy with it now. I know the time it took was necessary to achieve what I desired making. This work deeply fulfilled me as an artist and has truly come from my intuitive need to make work that speaks not just to my eye but to my soul.
Kerri is a multidisciplinary artist based in Wexford. With a strong interest in psychology, her practice explores the relationship between emotional experience, memory, and sensory environments. Cleary’s current body of work developed from a lifelong draw toward cozy, safe, and sensory-friendly spaces, alongside an interest in the importance of such environments on the human nervous system.
Working with fabrics, found objects, handcrafted forms, and vibrant colour palettes, Cleary creates intimate sculptural enclosures inspired by pillow forts, grottos, and imagined childhood refuges. Combining soft textured materials with immersive sculptural forms, the work evokes feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and emotional protection.
