Emma O'Rourke
Emma O’Rourke (b. 1987) is a London Irish diaspora artist working with the human condition, archival material and narrative. Her practice focuses on drawing and painting, delicately assembling often indistinguishable forms - otherworldly beings eager to find their place. Her work and research sheds light on the theme of dependency, what it means to belong and being displaced as a physiological state. Emma is a graduate of Wimbledon College of Art and has an MA from the University of Manchester in Museum Studies. She is currently undertaking the Turps Art School Correspondence Course and previously completed two years at the Essential School of Painting, Wood Green.
Emma was born in Brent where her most recent solo show V E S S E L S took place at Willesden Gallery. The exhibition was inspired by Brent Museum and Archives where she has been researching the history of Irish migration to London, the mental health challenges faced, and the traditions and values passed down without explanation. She speaks of a sense of displacement - not British but without an Irish accent - identifying with the Irish diaspora. Her work is fuelled by stories, both autobiographical and anecdotal, moments and memories without physical shape - acknowledging the limitations of language. Her practice turned a pivotal point after the birth of her son in 2018 fuelling a sense of urgency and newfound relevance. Her drawings and paintings express a yearning to make sense of the past through our messy day-to-day existence. She is represented by Cicek Gallery and based at Second Floor Studios and Arts, Wembley Park, London.
