MTU Crawford College of Art & Design

What is the course about?

This course introduces students to a range of materials, techniques and equipment involved in textiles art making. Students study the art, techniques and processes involved in fibre manipulation. The fibres used are wool, flax, silk, and soya bean fibre amongst others. Students learn how to manipulate the fibre to make various types of felt including nuno felting (felting on fabric), needle felting and 3d manipulation. The course also introduces students to fundamental stitching techniques (both manual and machine stitching), basketry, fibre sculpture, vessels, wire and reed 3D construction techniques. Employing a range of textile processes, the student creatively explores and develops their ideas. Students also learn the art of papermaking with paper and silk fibres. 

Download the course FAQ pdf here

Tutor Profile

Claire Anne O’Brien is a textile practitioner specialising in constructed textiles techniques such as knit, weave and basketry. Central to her practice is the interplay between materials and technique resulting in an ongoing series of playful investigations exploring repurposed waste and sustainable fibres.This hands - on, experimental approach reimagines traditional textile structures through material, colour and scale. Applications have included product, installation and fabrics as well as a range of knitted wool furniture.

Claire Anne has exhibited at London Design Festival, Milan Furniture Fair, Wool Modern, New York Design Week, Dutch Design Week and Spinexpo. She received the Future Maker Award from the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland in 2011 and the Cockpit Arts & Haberdashers’ Award in 2015.

Originally from County Cork, she studied textile design at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in London where she set up her practice in 2010. Alongside her practice, she has lectured at universities in the UK including Bath Spa School of Art & Design and Nottingham Trent University before returning to live in her home Cork in 2023.

Course Accreditation

These part-time, evening courses provide students with an opportunity to experience the potential of visual arts practice, through sustained engagement with materials, techniques, processes, research and art contexts.  Each course is an accredited module (5 credits) on the National Framework of Qualifications, where 60 credits equate to the workload of a full-time academic year on a degree programme.  It may be possible, therefore, to use these credits as part of one of our full-time programmes in the Department of Fine Art and Applied Art.  Students interested in pursuing this option should contact crawford.enquiries@mtu.ie and bear in mind that they would need to submit work for assessment at the end of the module.

Contact

Course Enquiries:
crawford.enquiries@mtu.ie

For more information & to apply:
https://www.mtu.ie/courses/craccxxd6/