Irene MacWilliam BEM

In 2019 I was awarded the BEM for Services to Textile Art in Northern Ireland.

IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING
ANY OF THE PIECES ON THIS SITE PLEASE contact me at inemacwilliam@gmail.com


I was chosen to be one of 7 ambassadors for BSoA175 in celebration of the Belfast School of Art's 175th year: one of the oldest Art Colleges in the UK. I am in the pink top. This was taken at the opening of the Degree shows June 2024


I live in Northern Ireland. In 1985 I went to a talk about appliqué in the Northern Ireland Patchwork Guild. I decided that I would have a go. I was not interested in reproducing traditional patterns so my early work was machine appliqué. I also joined the Northern Ireland Embroidery Guild around the same time..

Over the years my work has included many pieces to do with conflict and the havoc and misery it causes to children and families. I use a lot of free machining and other decorative techniques and recently I have been creating my own fabrics by dyeing, screen printing, stamping and sun printing etc. Many pieces incorporate text, often almost hidden.

In 1986 I began making Events of the Year quilts see Year Quilts. From this page you can access images of individual year quilts covering 1986-2012 (2012 is last one of these but it is yet to be photographed). These quilt have 20 picture panels that cover world events. These are now in the Permanent Collection of the Ulser Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra https://www.nmni.com/our-museums/ulster-folk-museum/home.asp

In 2012 - 26 Events of the Year Quilts were shown in - Tower Museum, Londonderry/Derry, Northern Ireland
and Donegal County Museum, High Road, Letterkenny. In 2004 the Year and the Peace Quilts were Exhibited at the Festival of Quilts at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. They were shown in Armagh Museum, Northern Ireland in 2005. In 1986 I had my year quilts and a retrospective show of my work in the Irish Linen Centre, Lisburn Museum. In 2012 the 26 year quilts, curated by Roberta Bacic, were shown in Tower Museum, Londonderry/Derry Northern Ireland and Donegal County Museum, High Road, Letterkenny, Ireland.

These Year Quilts are now in the Permanent Collection of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum,Cultra https://www.nmni.com/our-museums/ulster-folk-museum/home.aspx . Peace Quilt 1 /Common Loss was bought by the Ulster Museum in 2021 and is part of their Troubles Collection.

Sine 2007 I have collaborated closely with curator Roberta Bacic and the Conflict Textiles Collection that she has developed. My work has featured in many Conflict Textiles exhibitions both in Northern Ireland and abroad, all of which are fully documented and digitally archived on the Conflict Textiles website which is an associate site of CAIN, Ulster University: https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/conflicttextiles Roberta curated the exhibition of Events of the Year Quilts in Derry/Londonderry and Letterkenny in 2012. I have participated personally in Conflict Textiles events when possible, and have donated a number of pieces to the collection.

I have produced many 3 dimensional pieces that satisfy the criteria of a quilt as they consist of 3 layers but equally well would be accepted as embroidery or sculpture. A miscellaneous selection of my work can be seen by clicking the thumbnails on the Galleriesapage.

I am a freelance lecturer and teacher. Details of my talks and workshops can be seen on the Lectures + Workshops page. My career details may be seen on CV

There are also pages showing my Journal Quilts for 2020  2018 2017   2016  2015   2014  2013    2012    2011    2010    2009   2008     2007  2021
A list of all the pieces on this site with links to the individual images can be seen on the List of work page. I have many more pieces not included on website.

Sky is the Limit a page of 12 x 12 inch pieces. They are usually to a set theme.. This group no longer exists.

IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING
ANY OF THE PIECES ON THIS SITE PLEASE CONTACT ME

See postings on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004512128746