The work consists of a sequence of eight ceramic panels mounted on textured wooden boards.
It explores the idea of encompassing space and time. The narrative unfolds through layers of different techniques applied to the ceramic surface — including screen-printing, monoprinting, drawing, and casting — each contributing to the depth and rhythm of the story.
The central motif of the girl in the red dress and her friendship with the swallows unites the various elements of the narrative and its composition. The story begins with the image of the red egg, symbolising the origin of life through both its form and colour. Its shell is delicate, fragile, and easily broken, yet strong enough to protect the life within. There comes a moment when this life must emerge from the shell, though the world outside is not always ready or willing to receive it.
As the girl grows, her connection with the swallows deepens. She strives to overcome physical boundaries to reach the freedom she perceives in the endless sky, and ultimately, through wisdom, she discovers the true meaning of freedom.
Archival photographs of old Galway from the National Archive form the backdrop of each tile, situating the narrative within a specific context of Irish history.
The raku technique used in the final firing — rooted in Zen philosophy — symbolises life’s unpredictability and the experience of being fully present in the moment. It lends a soft, subtle, and timeless quality to the ceramics, allowing the story to resonate as powerfully today as it did long ago.
The girls depicted across the panels are suspended between different times and places, yet they share the same longing for freedom — and the quiet wisdom that true freedom brings.
