June 2025

An Ocean Seen

Limerick School of Art and Design

‘An Ocean Seen’ explores the interplay of light and the ocean. Rachel creates an ocean scene, shaped by her own encounters with the sea, building a bridge between personal memory and collective experience. Everyone has subjective feelings toward the ocean such as awe, joy, fear, peace, or longing.

Growing up near the coast, Rachel has always held a profound love for its presence and ability to explore it.

The ocean is not just water; it is the force that makes life possible. Light is the ocean’s silent partner in sustaining life. It fuels the food chain at its very base and provides the earth with more than 50 percent of its oxygen. Without light, the ocean would lose its life-giving energy and Earth would lose its greatest source of balance and renewal.

The universal interplay of sunlight on water evokes deep emotional responses, eases stress, lifts mood, and creates a meditative state often described as "blue mind." In her work, Rachel works with light and water together to evoke a space of reflection, wonder, and appreciation.

Through this immersive experience, she invites viewers to contemplate their own relationship with the sea, bringing the ocean into conversation and highlighting its often overlooked connection to human life.

Decemeber 2024

A Delicate Balance

Limerick School of Art and Design

The artist presents a visual representation of a miniature world that consists of the ocean and the air, highlighting their interconnectivity. The circles below symbolise the ocean, a realm teeming with life, while the space above represents the air, a vital resource sustained by the ocean.

Above are projected delicate objects, inspired by microorganisms found in the ocean that produce much of the Earth's oxygen. Rendered in white, these forms evoke their transformation into white fossils after death, a poignant reminder of the fragility of marine ecosystems and the pressing need for their preservation.

The artist parallels the beauty and fragility of bubbles to that of the ocean, using bubbles as a lens to explore this connection. This metaphor serves as a framework, emphasising the transient and delicate balance of marine life and its vital role in sustaining the planet. 

Prints created from underwater imagery delve into the intricate patterns found in the ocean, capturing its organic symmetry and natural wonder. The use of holographic prints compensates for the absence of vivid color, symbolising the bright and dynamic hues of marine life. This interplay of form, texture, and colour creates a layered narrative that merges art, science, and environmental advocacy, urging us to protect and cherish the oceans that sustain us. 

The rug below, depicts  a view from beneath the surface looking up, which serves as the first invitation for viewers to immerse themselves in the underwater world. Inviting a sense of calming reflection. This perspective bridges the human experience to the ocean’s depths, aiming to create a meditative space that reflects the tranquil beauty and fragility of marine life.