I’m celebrating Cork city life through my art

AN exhibition of fashion- inspired bespoke pieces that reflect street style, clothing and urban life is on display in the city centre this month.

‘Lookbook’ opened in Greenwich Café in Caroline Street, is by artist Jenny Monks, a design teacher working for the CETB, at Tramore Road Campus, Cork College of Further Education, for over 20 years.

Jenny, who lives in Rochestown, has held numerous exhibitions in gallery settings and art venues over the years, but wanted to reach a wider audience by designing work for public spaces.

“I had this desire to celebrate city life by making my work more accessible,” said the NCAD graduate.

A turning point came after finishing a commission for a city fashion boutique, Paperdolls, in 2017, when she launched Jenny Monks Design in 2018 with a website, branding, social media and a new direction.

That saw her get a site-specific commission for a new hair salon, ‘Shed’ on French Church Street.

“From this point on I blazed a trail through Cork city cafés. Exhibitions included ‘Pocket Dreams’ and ‘Runway’ for Pink Moon on Washington Street and ‘Flare’ for Alchemy on Barrack Street last December.”

Jenny’s inspiration comes from travel, street style, photography and fashion.

“I create fabric pieces with a graphic style and pop art references. Everything that I use has been lived or experienced and has been part of everyday life – reclaimed elements from clothes, photographs and visual references from magazines,” she explained.

“Sourcing and collecting materials are an important part of my process. Reimagining the use of materials from small ribbons, tags and labels that I salvage from clothes and combining these with photos from places I have visited or people that I have observed.

“Collaged images are constructed then by layering fabric and paper using hand or machine stitch. The tactile nature of the work is important, and the artwork is designed to draw the viewer into intricate details close-up.”

As well as creating material for exhibitions, Jenny builds social media campaigns to support them.

“That demands a huge amount of creative thinking and becomes part of the story for each collection. An artist must have a strong online identity to help to share their story and to promote their work.”

For ‘Lookbook’, Jenny has used check, gingham, tartan, lace and vintage fabrics to celebrate designers/ icons such as the late Vivienne Westwood, ska music, punk, skateboarding and Paris.

“It’s is a fashion story that mixes Cali sunshine with Cork’s lust for life!” she said.

Through her work as a teacher, she’s driven to promote the benefits of art for mental health, and she used art to create a safe social space for Ukrainian students at Tramore Road Campus when they arrived last September.

Initially, English language classes were offered to the group, but what began as a twice weekly English language lesson for the group, quickly evolved into an inclusive, immersive creative exchange space for all students.

Jenny and florist Michelle O’Keeffe drew on their own creative practice to engage the learners and a creative exchange space developed.

“The benefits of the creative workshops are plentiful, from improving speaking/ understanding English, to making new friends, honing skills and developing the confidence to express emotions,” she said.

For now, she’s looking forward to seeing people enjoy Lookbook.

“Cork’s café culture is vibrant and being part of the fabric of the city is impactful when business owners like Dermot O’Sullivan of Greenwich Café encourage art on the walls,” said Jenny.

“Exhibitions like this are special opportunities to share my love of textiles and stitch in the city, but more importantly they are chances to network with business owners, connect with other artists and build communities. I love to use art to bring groups together,” said Jenny.

Lookbook runs for the month of May, Greenwich Café, 19 Caroline St (behind Brown Thomas).