Irene Duffy is a Dublin based artist currently completing a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art: Glass at the National College of Art and Design. Irene divided her undergraduate training between Ireland and The United States. From 2015-2016 she attended the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point to specialize in Hot Glass. Irene has received numerous scholarships to study in the United States. She has exhibited her work in Prague, Ireland and the United States. 

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This body of work narrates some of my interactions and experiences with phenomena of life and death. More specifically this work explores daily social human interactions of living, to better understand and critique which human responses are instinctual and which human responses are learned social and cultural constructs. 

My research emerged that, historically across Europe birds are cultural symbols of loss and death. I particularly explored and developed images of the owl, the common murre and sixteenth century Venetian masks. I later combined these images with the female form to exploit the macabre narratives of my illustrations. The head which should be the driver of the living aspect is instead a dead and empty skull. The skull combined with human gestural form personify a sense of loss. In some illustrations I have integrated bright vivacious colours to juxtapose the liveliness of living while the skeletal components signify the ever present proximity of death.

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