Creative Spark is thrilled to announce that Laura Rafferty has joined as its third Artist-in-Residence for 2023.

Laura is a Northern Irish artist and designer with a vast experience in fine art painting, surface print design, ceramics, sculpture, figure/life drawing, conceptual art, digital art, and photography. With her background in fine art lecturing and design education, Laura is all set to hone her artistic skills and experiment with fresh ideas and techniques during her residency at Creative Spark.

Laura aims to create a series of fine art paintings and screen prints during her residency. Using these works as a foundation, she intends to translate them into silk scarves and a couple of garments. Laura is also a textile craftsman, seamstress, maker, and general creative, who has gained extensive experience as a freelancer in costume within the TV and Film industry.

Laura has developed a love for drawing, painting, and illustration styles, which led to the creation of her brand, Lara Lavine. Her brand's designs explore the theme of Ireland's industrial heritage, focusing on the railways and ship merchants that built the Titanic. Rafferty's love for film, travel, music, literature, and Ireland's hardworking people has inspired her to create wearable art that is fun, quirky, creative, practical, flexible to wear, and vibrant.

The Creative Spark Residency Programme provides opportunities for visual artists and art professionals to research and develop their practices. It supports both emerging and established visual artists working in any medium, but gives preference to those artists developing a body of work in a printmaking discipline. Each residency is supported by provision of studio space in Creative Spark, along with access to all the facilities and technical support. The residency generally lasts between 2-3 months. 

This programme is generously supported by Create Louth (Arts Service of Louth County Council) and Arts Council Ireland.  

Instagram: @laralavinedesign

Website: laralavine.com

For further information contact: Stephen Hurley, Marketing and Outreach,  
Creative Spark E: stephen@creativespark.ie T: +353 42 938 5720 W: www.creativespark.ie