Mayo native to exhibit Beyond the Yarn sculpture at Foxford Woollen Mills

BEYOND the Yarn, a new sculpture inspired by the Foxford Woollen Mills, will go on public display at the mills this month.

Created by London-based sculptor Jonathan O'Dea, who was born in Mayo, the sculpture incorporates yarn from Foxford Woollen Mills along with reclaimed wood and found stone from the local landscape.

Jonathon will be visiting the mills on April 18 and 19 where visitors will have an opportunity to hear more about his work. Beyond the Yarn will be on display from April 18 until May 17.

The new work is the culmination of artist and sculptor Jonathan O’Dea’s transformative residency at the mills, Beyond the Yarn. This residency brings together the mill’s rich textile heritage with Ireland’s contemporary visual arts scene. It marks the first piece in a new body of work currently in development, eventually leading to a larger-scale project and a solo exhibition.

In September 2025, FOXFORD director Joe Queenan granted O’Dea full access to Foxford Woollen Mills, providing an unprecedented opportunity to explore the mill’s workshops, observe textile production, and create a new sculptural work incorporating Foxford’s renowned yarns and fibres. His residency also extended to the wider cultural landscape of County Mayo, including visits to the Museum of Country Life, Ballintubber Abbey, and the Ballycastle visual arts festival, deepening his engagement with Ireland’s material and visual heritage.

Beyond the Yarn reimagines the tactile qualities of textiles through the lens of contemporary sculpture. Known

for transforming reclaimed building materials into abstract forms, O’Dea has expanded his practice to include Foxford yarns - rich in hues that evoke Mayo’s boglands and heather, infusing his work with new layers of cultural and environmental resonance. His sculptures unite reclaimed wood, found stone from the local landscape, and handwoven textiles, creating site-responsive works that reference Ireland’s rural landscapes and the enduring resilience of its communities.

“The experience at Foxford allowed me to see the threads of Ireland’s history and landscape quite literally woven together,” O’Dea said. “Each material tells a story, and in bringing them into dialogue, I want to honour our craft heritage while imagining what it can mean today.”

Beyond the Yarn reflects the rhythms of rural life and the social fabric that has shaped Irish craft for generations. It places O’Dea firmly within a lineage of contemporary Irish artists who explore materiality, memory, and place, echoing the environmentally conscious practices of figures such as Dorothy Cross and Alice Maher.

The project represents a living conversation between tradition and innovation, uniting the threads of Ireland’s past and future in sculptural forms that speak to sustainability, heritage, and the enduring narrative of the land.

Jonathan O’Dea is a Member of the Royal Society of Sculptors (MRSS). With over 20 years of professional experience, he has been producing and exhibiting artwork.

Born in Mayo, he has lived and worked in London since 1987. Between 1995 and 1996 he attended Central Saint Martin’s where he completed a diploma in Art and Design. He subsequently earned a degree in History with Irish Studies from London Metropolitan University. Following his degree, he returned to art with the support of the Prince’s Trust which helped him organise his first solo exhibition.

Since then, he has had 18 solo exhibitions and been selected for over 26 group exhibitions in Britain, Ireland and China. He has also received funding from Arts Council England for several high-profile projects including the Cultural Olympiad in 2012. Furthermore, he has created sculptures using materials from significant infrastructure projects such as the Crossrail (Queen Elizabeth line).

His studio is located in the grounds of the William Morris Gallery in the Borough of Waltham Forest, London.