Inspired by Lismore Castle’s complex history and its renowned gardens - the oldest cultivated in Ireland - Belonging is a chest I created by embedding plant material gathered on-site. Many of the plants are native and many were collected by 18th & 19th century plant hunters. I wanted it to reference both medieval herbal medicine chests and Victorian specimen books, specific to this location on the Blackwater river, while also reflecting the ancient journeying of chests between homes. Where might such a chest belong, and where might the family transporting the chest belong? The chest tells the story of this garden in 2025 as well as the historical bed that allowed for it.

Creating Belonging involved multiple seasonal visits to collect plant material, followed by specific drying techniques to maximise the originality of the flora. Over 8 weeks I embedded the flowers in layers of resin in moulds, like lacquering, creating panels that were then trimmed to size and brought together to form the chest. The joints, the barrel top lid and the crucial functioning of the hinge were some of the technical challenges encountered. The shape was refined through sanding and polishing.

Belonging was exhibited in the Kunstkammer exhibition at Lismore Castle Arts in Waterford, Ireland, from March - October 2025. The exhibition celebrated 20 years of Lismore Castle Arts and was curated by Robert O’Byrne and Paul McAree. To learn more about the exhibition, read here.

In September 2026, Belonging will be included in the Homo Faber 2026: An Island of Light exhibition in Venice, Italy. For further details, click here.

Photo credit: Rory Moore