Fruity Bodies - New and Recent Art Works by Joanna Hopkins at dlr LexIcon

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (dlr) Arts Office is delighted to present an exhibition of work by Joanna Hopkins. Fruity Bodies opens at the Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon on 10 March 2024. The work explores folklore with landscape and the human form.

Hopkins focuses on the human body, menstruation and native plants. She uses plants and plant dyes from her local hedgerows and fields in a wide range of media including sculpture, embroidery, photography and film. She makes abstract connections in her artworks between humans and nonhuman entities inspired by her local natural environment. 

For example, the video work, On the Rag Tree, is intended as a May tree tribute.  It was documented over a week as the rain and winds washed the plant dyes from the fabric. Many images in the installation are produced by blackberries and the sun, and they will fade if placed in direct sunlight over time. In this instance, the sun both gives the image and takes away the image. Gallery 2 will feature a large hawthorn tree branch sculpture dotted and pierced with cotton and sheep’s wool, hand dyed with hawthorn leaves, blackberries, elderberries, briars, pinecones and bracken ferns.

Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Councillor Denis O’Callaghan said:

“Joanna Hopkins’ work explores folklore and mythology from Irish history in a really interesting and imaginative way. She focuses on the female body, explores native plants, and is inspired by her local natural environment in creating these beautiful artworks.”

Chief Executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Frank Curran added:

“The Council was delighted to award this exhibition to Joanna Hopkins. We are very grateful to the Arts Council for supporting this exhibition and encourage everyone to visit it at dlr LexIcon.”

‘Fruity Bodies’ opens at the Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon in Dún Laoghaire on 10 March and runs until 3 May 2024 (closed 16-18 March inclusive, 29 March-1 April inclusive). Admission is free of charge. Alongside the exhibition, dlr Arts Office will run a programme of accompanying talks, workshops and events.

For further details, visit: dlrcoco.ie/arts.