Esther Ward

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Esther Ward describes her artistic practice as drawing together the research threads  of place, peoples, materials and the making process. She is particularly interested in the curation of archives and the voices heard and absent within them, and how she can present her own work within the format of a living archive. Often site or event specific, she considers her work an invitation for others to find space to connect with their own life stories. She has worked in diverse locations from derelict buildings, landscapes of historic interest, a shipping container and within museums. Her lifelong interest in the connective threads of place, people and materials is currently exploring the paradox of powerlessness and resilience in the narratives of places experiencing conflict.

Education / Research

I  have a long standing interest in the personal and social impact of conflict and crisis. My M.A. degrees in History and Applied Theology covered research topics such as the place of war memorials in the landscape; considering the experience of the Holocaust 

and its impact on faith issues in the late 20th century; and exploring conflict and acts of reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

I have enjoyed taking a fine arts textile degree with UCA. My most recent work has explored landscapes of conflict. A final year collection explored time spent on Orkney in 2020 and studying the Italian Chapel considering the creativity of POWs. In 2021 a five month residency inside a shipping container explored the plight of those caught up in war and becoming refugees. The subsequent exhibition - Contained Voices- explored the life of women in Afghanistan as the Taliban retook Kabul. A film created as part of my degree led to further study around the concept of Living Archives.