As a member of AAEX (Arts as Exchange) I get to be involved with some very interesting projects. This exhibition called ‘Exchange’ was curated by Caoimhe Murphy and involved an exchange of work and ideas between members of AAEX led by Michael and Susan. The brilliant Tracy Fry and myself were paired up and thoroughly enjoyed the process. The group pop-up exhibition took place in an empty building on Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk (owned by Dundalk Credit Union and soon to be remodelled). The collaboration between people and spaces is always interesting.

I made a large cyanotype of the moon on the piece given to me by Tracy and Tracy made a beautiful Imbolc piece on a canvas I gave to her.

As part of the project the involved artists were also given a parts of a mannequin to work on. My sculpture piece, ‘La Femme D’Argent’, was inspired by my playlist in the studio as I worked on the piece and for me to represents a woman of worth; part stuck, part transcending.

Exhibition text for La Femme D’Argent

The mannequin’s history is layered with distortion. Originating from the Flemish manneken—“little man”—these early figures were male pages modeling women's garments. Today, that legacy lingers in troubling ways. Female crash test dummies remain scaled-down males, failing to reflect women's distinct anatomy. As Dr. Lauren Weekes notes, their proportions mimic prepubescent girls more than adult women—an oversight with deadly consequences. La Femme D’Argent challenges this norm. Through fabric, plaster of Paris, and fragmented form, the work reclaims space for female bodies as they are—complex, worthy, and powerful. The silver finish speaks of value. Women are not small men.