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Ciana March
Ciana March is a creative director and brand consultant whose practice sits at the intersection of visual culture, design and architecture. Working with design- and craft-led enterprises and culturally rooted organisations, she develops visual narratives and activations informed by people, place and material culture. She holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from University College Dublin, has contributed to publications including Thread, Offset and It’s Nice That, and maintains a particular interest in the preservation of Ireland’s handcrafts and architectural heritage.
Instagram: @cianamarch
With our homes now cleared of warmth-inducing fairy lights and uplifting greenery, January feels like the perfect time to expand our knowledge of stained glass. Once a firm fixture in domestic interiors, this colourful and decorative art form has almost entirely disappeared from modern homes. This month, Dr David Caron will give two talks on his latest book, “Dublin’s Stained Glass: A Guide to the Finest Twentieth-Century Windows”. The first takes place this Wednesday the 7th at the Irish Georgian Society, with a second later in the month as part of the Hugh Lane Gallery’s Offsite: Coffee Conversation series.
As a long-time admirer of Sean Scully’s richly graphic and earthy work, I’m delighted to see that his exhibition Tapestry at Kerlin Gallery continues this month. Scully’s work – both sculptural and painted – features in major international collections including the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and more locally at the gates of the University of Limerick, where his sculpture ‘Crann Soilse’ (commissioned by deBlacam Meagher) stands. Visit Tapestry before it closes on January 24th.
Also finishing this month is Kilkenny Design Workshops: A 60th Anniversary Celebration at Butler Gallery, Kilkenny. The Kilkenny Design Workshops (1965–1988) played a pivotal role in raising the standard of Irish craft and industrial design to international levels while shaping the country’s cultural identity. To mark this milestone, Butler Gallery presents a special exhibition highlighting artists closely associated with KDW, including Oisín Kelly, Sonja Landweer, Louis le Brocquy and Patrick Scott.
My walk into town takes me through Dublin’s medieval centre – a fascinating part of the city where buildings of architectural and historical significance sit alongside not-always-complementary 20th-century developments. Dublin City Council’s Wood Quay offices are perhaps the most controversial among them. Just over 50 years ago, excavations on this historic site led to groundbreaking discoveries relating to the city’s early Viking and Anglo-Norman development. This January 28th, Dr Pat Wallace, who led the project, will revisit the Wood Quay excavations in a talk at the Irish Georgian Society.
