Professor Sarah Glennie ∙ Director

NCAD WORKS 2024 provides a portal to the full breadth of work by our extraordinary graduates from across our four schools of Fine Art, Design, Education, and Visual Culture and encompasses students graduating from our broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and CEAD programmes.

Collectively, our graduates represent Ireland’s creative future, and they each hold great potential to play a dynamic and impactful role in the Ireland we face right now. As you will see from this work, our students want to fuel change in a creative and productive way, from how we design our public services to the way we see each other.

They are emerging into their professional careers at an exciting time as new opportunities emerge in Ireland for creative graduates. The creative sector is one of the fastest growing in the global economy. Ireland’s creative graduates drive our creative and cultural sectors, which currently contribute 3.7% of Gross Added Value to the economy, with room to grow even more.

Our students are fully engaged with the world beyond the NCAD campus, and they continue to demonstrate their ambition and commitment to make work that has impact and meaning to us all in many different ways. The big challenges that face society can be traced across our graduates' work as they apply their creativity to bringing new solutions, critical thinking, and reflection onto issues including sustainability, gender identity and equality, wellbeing, new technologies, and our digital and material futures.

An education at NCAD is the starting point for generations of bold and curious minds that have made an enormous contribution to society in many different ways. We are confident that this generation is set to continue this extraordinary legacy as they leave us equipped with the imagination, creativity, and critical thinking that will ensure that they make an impact in whatever path they follow.

So, on behalf of An Bord and all my colleagues at NCAD – congratulations to all our graduating students; we are extremely proud of all that you have achieved, and we look forward to following your creative journeys in the future.

Thomas St Campus

100 Thomas Street
Directions

7–15 June

Fri 7 June 10am–8pm
Sat 8 June 10am–5pm
Sun 9 June 10am–5pm
Mon 10 June 10am–8pm
Tue 11 June 10am–8pm
Wed 12 June 10am–8pm
Thu 13 June 10am–8pm
Fri 14 June 10am–8pm
Sat 15 June 10am–5pm

Courses on show:

BA Fashion
BA Jewellery & Objects
BA Textile & Surface Design
Joint (Hons) Education Design or Fine Art
BA Graphic Design
BA Illustration
BA Moving Image Design
BA Interaction Design
BA Product Design
Applied Materials
Media
Painting
Print
Sculpture & Expanded Practice
MA Design for Body & Environment
MA Communication Design
MA Interaction Design
MSC Medical Device Design
Prof Dip Service Design
BA Visual Culture

The Annex

102–3 James’ Street
Directions

7–15 June

Fri 7 June 10am–8pm
Sat 8 June 10am–5pm
Sun 9 June 10am–5pm
Mon 10 June 10am–8pm
Tue 11 June 10am–8pm
Wed 12 June 10am–8pm
Thu 13 June 10am–8pm
Fri 14 June 10am–8pm
Sat 15 June 10am–5pm

Courses on show:

MFA in Fine Art
MFA Art in the Contemporary World

Grace Gifford House

John St W
Directions

7–15 June

Fri 7 June 10am–8pm
Sat 8 June 10am–5pm
Sun 9 June 10am–5pm
Mon 10 June 10am–8pm
Tue 11 June 10am–8pm
Wed 12 June 10am–8pm
Thu 13 June 10am–8pm
Fri 14 June 10am–8pm
Sat 15 June 10am–5pm

Courses on show:

Media

BA Jewellery & Objects

Lara McDonagh

she/her

RESILIENCE

‘Resilience’ is a body of work that reflects on the mental process of recovery following my recent experience of having a brain tumour. Examining the structure of the brain and using my own brain scans, the work explores an alternative view of human anatomy and the defence mechanisms within.

My practice is expressed through meticulous, temperamental techniques that require patience to succeed, mimicking the process of mental recovery. This allows me to come to terms with my current circumstances, which I find cathartic and healing.

Enamel, laid on silver and copper, reflects the fragile and defensive mechanisms of the brain. Lost wax casting represents a journey of free movement with unpredictable outcomes. The use of textile processes that incorporate soft and hard materials, documents my personal journey of regaining strength.

‘Resilience’ intends to draw awareness to the practice of Art Therapy as a form of support to come to terms with personal trauma. Let’s start the conversation about human resilience.

Resilience Collection, photoshoot — Resilience Collection, photoshoot

Resilience 1, neckpiece, enamel on copper, silver, French knitted wool — Resilience 1, neckpiece, enamel on copper, silver, French knitted wool

Resilience 2, neckpiece, enamel on silver, French knitted silver chain — Resilience 2, neckpiece, enamel on silver, French knitted silver chain

Protection 1 & 2, rings, 3D printed resin, lost wax cast in silver — Protection 1 & 2, rings, 3D printed resin, lost wax cast in silver

Defence 1, 2, 3, pins, lost wax cast in silver — Defence 1, 2, 3, pins, lost wax cast in silver

Defence 4, ring, lost wax cast in silver — Defence 4, ring, lost wax cast in silver

Armour, brooch, silver — Armour, brooch, silver

Rebound 1, 2, 3, rings, lost wax cast in silver — Rebound 1, 2, 3, rings, lost wax cast in silver

Resilience Collection, Rebound rings, photoshoot — Resilience Collection, Rebound rings, photoshoot

Resilience Collection, Resilience 2 neckpiece, photoshoot — Resilience Collection, Resilience 2 neckpiece, photoshoot

Research

French knitting wool and enamelled copper process

Protection ring texture process, using manipulated steel tool

French knitting silver wire process

Enamelling process

Pendant motor polish on lost wax cast pins