NIAMH BIRCH
I primarily work from memory, resulting in paintings and drawings that loosely depict conversations, everyday life and moments with friends and family. Aspects of my work are painted from photographs, and many of my initial ideas are taken from overheard chatter, humorous phrases or music lyrics I have scribbled down. A loose first object or feature is drawn onto the canvas and then I build outwards. Occasionally I’ll hear a song I haven’t heard in a while which will remind me of a time, and that sets the scene for my next painting. I like to draw what I see in front of me, representative to the object instead of precise scale or detail. I find myself sitting, staring at the work in progress. An hour can go by without making a mark, instead, thinking. Lots of thinking – it feels like a waste of time but it’s part of the process.
“I build up my canvas with layering collages. I recycle previous diary pages or old books, meaning the paintings are built upon documents of everyday life; pulling together personal narratives through visual storytelling.”
I use a different combination of materials on every painting. Sometimes a specific oil pastel colour is purposefully dug out from the box, other times I act on instinct and pick up a tool or paint tube that’s caught my eye. Most of my materials are oil based – pastels, paint, bars. I like how the textures and surfaces of oil paint can be altered by adding liquids and mediums.
My mum’s house is, and will always be, a constant source of inspiration. It is a converted farm house, nestled in the heart of West Cork, Ireland beaming with colour and character. Each piece of furniture tells a story and every person, whether neighbour or postman, that opens the blue dutch doors and steps onto the parquet floors treats it like their home.
My work celebrates the importance of objects inside and outside the home. I depict everyday details that are often overlooked. Chairs, tables and kitchenware are illustrated in vibrant colour compositions and thick textures. These household objects are often where my paintings begin. The framework and patterns within my home are how the rest of the painting is formed. Created with a tactile approach, layers of paint and collage add weight and depth to the canvas and the painting itself becomes a piece of the furniture. The still life in the paintings sit in unison when hung in a room where these celebrated objects exist and are put to purpose.
Niamh studied Contemporary Arts Practice at Bath Spa University followed by a residency at 44AD in Bath and more recently with Blue Shop Cottage in France. Niamh had two 2021 solo exhibitions in Devon and Bath, and ‘Liquid Afternoons’ was her first solo show in London. A 2021 highlight was a film collaboration called ‘Willow’ where she painted a 10m long canvas on a beach in Devon.
