Meet Amelia Dennigan | Fine art thread painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amelia Dennigan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amelia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always been creative but initially pursued a career in economics. I was hugely interested in the subject and felt there were similarities to art, in the sense that you can take your raw materials and after careful investigation, craft them into a compelling story. However, and probably unsurprisingly, it occurred to me that I was unsatisfied with my career direction. I was sewing at night and spent most of my days thinking about what I would work on when I got home. So after 7 years of working with numbers, I knew it was time to make a change.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I identify as a fine art thread painter, as my works are increasingly akin to paintings rather than decorative embroidery.

I am self taught so my process has been entirely intuitive, I didn’t really have any intention to create large scale thread paintings. Initially I started sewing repetitive terrazzo designs onto linen as I loved the materiality and textural nature of thread and fabric. This also allowed me to explore colour and scale as the concept itself was really quite simple. But once I began to master that skill I turned to increasingly ambitious subject matter and adopted more traditional fine art concepts such as perspective, light and form. I also read up on art history to gain a greater understanding of paintings and various artistic movements.

I’m coming to think that being self taught is one of the stronger aspects of my work. For a long time I felt it was a mark against me, but now I think it has allowed me to carve out this weird niche that I may otherwise have never discovered.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ok, so no-one recommends mid town but I’m from Ireland where we have no skyscrapers so Bryant Park is a must in the Spring (after the winter village is gone!). I think the greatest thing about NYC is the variety, so I would definitely do a day at the Met, a drink in some fancy Upper East Side bar and then down to the East Village for Thai food and karaoke.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband Sam. He is my advisor, counsellor, advocate, social outlet and the one to tell me where I may not be doing it right. And my mum, who no matter what, thinks I can do no wrong!

Website: www.acrunyc.com

Instagram: acru_

Image Credits
Grace Brown (headshot only)