Becoming Animal, 2023

Lithographic photosensitive plate, printmaking proofs, edition print on fine-art Bristol paper

Eabha Cleary is a visual artist who practises between Ireland and Berlin, Germany. Cleary explores social issues such as class dynamics, the consequences of post-capitalism, and the pervasive effects of globalist commodification. Her work is somatically engaged with the environment while considering and mediating the cultural, political, and personal impacts. Using printmaking, photography, and moving images, Cleary draws inspiration from anarchist philosophies and ancient Irish folklore. Cleary’s practice probes the visible and invisible imprints etched into the environment, and by extension, the imprint on culture and society. She endeavours to visually explore her subject matter in a tactile, empathetic, and emotional manner. Embracing uncertainty and speculation, her evolving practice aims to challenge and offer fresh perspectives on the world we inhabit.

For her time in Berlin, Eabha has delved into the intricate relationship between urban life, socio-economic dynamics, and the often-overlooked inhabitants of this city – rats. Drawing upon Deleuze and Guattari’s ‘Becoming Animal’ concept, Cleary has considered the dialogue between the human and non-human, ultimately viewing the rat as an anarchic being which resists the imminent globalisation of this city.