Sarah Ruttle Artist
As Sarah’s work evolves she shares glimpses of new work in exhibitions across the country. Applying through open calls to a variety of galleries, gaining exposure for her new work. Most recently she had a piece selected to be exhibited in Royal Ulster Academy’s 144th Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
In addition to this during 2025 she exhibited in group shows in Signal Arts Centre, Wicklow; Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre; Cnoc Buí, Union Hall; Working Artist Studios, Ballydehob.
‘Unfolding’. Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre. 2015.
‘Unfolding’ residency explored links that we share in cultural spaces in the context of diverse culture. Sarah used different methods of paper cutting, paper folding and printmaking to investigate how cultural buildings communicate with their communities and how collaboration becomes a conversation. During the residency a series of site-specific works were created for the Uillinn building.
Part of this residency led to an opportunity to work with visual artist Julia Pallone. Each artist shared the studio space for a short period, working individually and collaboratively experimenting and testing new ideas.
‘Fragments’. Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre. 6 May to 27 June 2019.
Fragments is an arts for health residency. In Spring 2018, following the annual Arts + Health Check Up, Check In, a reflective practice and reading group was initiated at Uillinn. The group comprised of West Cork-based Sarah Ruttle and Charlotte Donovan, Galway-based Marielle MacLeman, and Glasgow-based Kirsty Stansfield – all visual artists with over 15 years experience of working in arts and health.
This group provided a supportive space for the individuals to reflect on their broad experience and explore pertinent questions relating to maintaining an artistic practice in health settings. The residency formed an important incubator period for the group – time to focus on critical reflection with peers, using dialogue, making and writing to explore participative and collaborative methodologies in Arts and Health – and a catalyst to generate the momentum needed for continuous exchange.
During the residency at Uillinn, the group explored ideas related to:
‘Beauty in Struggle’. Working Artist Studios. 2021.
The ‘Arts Participation Bursary Award’ from the Arts Council focuses on providing artists with the time and resources they need to think, research, reflect, and deeply engage with their artistic practice. Through the support of this award Sarah was able to undertake a period of in-depth reflection on her work within an Arts & Health context.
She undertook significant time in the studio engaging in practical experimentation and the development of new solo work. Having an artist residency as part of this work, in the creative space of the ‘Working Artist Studios’ supported a significant and new direction in Sarah’s work. This allowed for the creation of a series of artwork responding to conversations with healthcare staff and peers working in Arts & Health.
This period of research included a reflection on working with participants experiencing different levels of cognitive function. Consultations with Mentor Kirsty Stansfield led to the development in understanding of sensory engagements. https://www.tracingautonomy.net/
Interviews with healthcare staff explored a participant’s sensory experience in creative engagement. While time in the studio with collaborators: composers/musicians Fiona Kelleher & Justin Grounds supported Sarah’s understanding and learning of the complexities of sound.
This award and residency allowed Sarah to consider the development of innovative work in a sustainable and meaningful way for her participatory practice, while also looking at how her participatory process and solo work are intertwined.
‘Love & Loss’ | Working Artist Studios. 2023.
In preparation for a solo exhibition in January 2024, Sarah undertook a three artist residency in Working Artist Studios, to make a pair of large scale works. ‘Love & Loss’ explores a story of survival after loss, with layers of stories told through this work is completes the body of work ‘This is for You’. The collection explores some difficult conversations and includes drawings that are based on social crises, address division and inequality and reflect on humanity and healing.
Other pieces focus on mental health and consider both the perspective of someone experiencing mental health challenges and the person supporting their loved one on their recovery journey.
Some of Sarah’s inspiration for this collection has come from: collaborating with people living with Dementia; working with our older generation; marking milestones; celebrating the uniqueness of everyday moments and taking advice from those who have lived through the adventures of life. Although this exhibition explored how complex, emotional challenges are experienced, behind the work is always an anchor of hope.
‘Experimentation’. Working Artist Studios. 2024.
Over a six week residency Sarah explored her ideas and style in contemporary portraiture. Using a variety of media she challenged herself to work freely & playfully, making marks to see how each media worked. She practised drawing/painting with oils, acrylics and pencil to see which could help her create the fine detail she wanted. During this residency Sarah took a road trip to meet artist Catherine Weld in her West Cork studio for a making session. This creative exchange enriched her experimentation in the studio time which followed.
An important part of the residency was also practicing her drawing skills, supported by friends who kindly visited to sit for her. She was reminded of the place for experimentation without defined outcome, nourished by this time in the studio.
‘Equal’. Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre. 2025.
This artist residency allowed Sarah space to develop her language and style in contemporary figurative art. While initiating a new body of work which represents and celebrates diverse Irish community. Growing up in Northern Ireland she has a special interest in ‘equality, reconciliation and inclusion’, and feels that it’s important to speak to this, in the challenging times we face today. Sarah explores stories and experiences with an emphasis on hope and bravery. She aims to bring new energy to her drawing, through practise working from a sitter at different stages of the residency.
Having developed a recognised participatory practice in the context of Arts & Health through Uillinn’s Arts for Health Partnership Programme Sarah has a real passion for working with people & exploring collaborative making. During this residency she held a once-off ‘Arts & Wellbeing’ workshop for Family Carers in a figurative arts exploration. Bringing together both the excitement of her own work in creating meaningful art and working with people to explore what it is for them to make art.
‘This is for You’ is a collection of work which was developed to represent stories of hope, perseverance and courage amidst challenge.
Having had such a positive and emotional response to this body of work, it felt right to make a limited edition book combining a selection of the writings & artworks. Allowing the work to be shared with a wider audience.
The book was completed during an artist residency in Working Artist Studios. It comes in two alternative front covers, while each book is hand-sewn, with an exposed spine binding.
‘Paper Art’ seemed to be a natural evolution from forming and folding fabric into sculptural works which I developed early in my creative journey.
Paper Cut artworks have become a special feature of my work, as it’s something I continue to revisit in the growth of new artwork collections. ‘Entangled’ is a recent experimental piece of work which has been inspired by the natural beauty of West Cork.
A selection of these books were exhibited as part of an exhibition in Working Artist Studios in 2024.
‘Loved’ Collection.
Diversity & Inclusion has been the focus of a new body of work made during 2025. In response to today’s world I find myself creating work which emphasises a message of love. No matter your religion, race, language, physical ability, or gender we need to share genuine empathy and compassion for one another.
I have concentrated on ‘People & Place’ in my evolving work. In this new collection I hope to have represented our whole community. We may have different styles, different costumes, different languages and different beliefs but these are something to be celebrated not a cause for division. Art I think can play an important part in building positive connections across diverse communities, as humanity is recognised and respected, echoing voices of reason and drowning out voices of hate.
