I’m Christina Drennan, a visual artist working primarily in textiles, based in Kilkenny, Ireland. My practice is rooted in storytelling, using thread, reclaimed materials, and abstracted form to explore memory, landscape, and the quiet emotional pull of the everyday.
My journey began in childhood, guided by my teacher Mrs. Roche, whose encouragement and early lessons in print and fabric sparked a lifelong connection to making. In 2013, I studied Fine Art, 2019 I studied Fashion, and Design, where I deepened my understanding of materials and began shaping a practice that blends personal narrative with environmental inquiry.
Central to my work is a commitment to circular innovation. Many of the fibres and fabrics I use are sourced through partnerships with businesses exploring sustainable models, diverting high quality waste materials from landfill. I view these materials not as limitations, but as carriers of potential and meaning. Even when a material is synthetic or no longer in production, I choose to work with it mindfully, believing that using what already exists is a powerful response to overconsumption.
My process is intuitive and tactile, weaving, stitching, and assembling with a focus on texture, rhythm, and emotional resonance. I’m especially drawn to remnants: thread ends, fabric offcuts, discarded yarns. These fragments, often overlooked, offer a richness that I see as integral to the final work.
Themes of memory, repair, and ecological awareness shape my creative lens. My recent solo exhibition Underestimate, part of the 2025 Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing (Waterford), explored the overlooked value of waste materials and the power of transformation through slow, embodied making.
Alongside my studio practice, I facilitate workshops in weaving, embroidery, and slow stitching, creating spaces for exchange and shared discovery. I believe deeply in making that honours both material and story, creating work that feels intimate, grounded, and quietly resonant in a fast-moving world.