RITA ANN BURKE
Incarcerated Innocence
My ceramic work explores the lives of the women incarcerated in and the children born into the Magdalene Laundries, particularly The Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry, Clare St., Limerick, now
Limerick School of Art and Design.
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My work looks to express the innocence of the children and the weight of the grief the women must have felt from that forced separation. From their testimonials, it is evident the Magdalene women lived lives on high alert, with an impending sense of violence that can bring dread and disorientation.
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My ceramic work considers that sense of unrelenting tension I imagine they experienced and that constant fear of confinement. My work seeks to express the sense I have of the drudgery of their lives and that physical, daily repetitive work they had to do in the laundries.
BIOGRAPHY
Rita Ann Burke studied Architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), graduating in 1992. Returning to Sligo, Ireland, she established her own private architectural practice. Over a 15 year period, she worked on a variety of projects from their inception to completion and collaborated with other Architectural practices.
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Rita Ann has many life experiences from business to fundraising for communities and the homeless, gaining a qualification in Radio Broadcasting and producing a documentary for RTE Doc on One.
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Currently studying Ceramic Design at Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), Rita Ann has come full circle back to her creative roots. Working 3-dimensionally and experimenting with different techniques and clays allows her to express and explore the essence of objects, words, images or ideas. She sees creativity everywhere.