Helen O’Hare and Wilma Kirkpatrick are Contemporary Textile Artists specializing in computerized embroidery and hand stitching, exploring the media of textiles on a technical and conceptual level. They design and create visual stories about Irish linen, historical, cultural and social using embroidery and linen. Irish linen is the foundation fabric for their pieces. They embellish the pieces with appliqué, hand dyed silk velvets and a mixture of hand stitching and digital embroidery to tell a story.

Wilma Kirkpatrick worked for the University of Ulster, Belfast since 1977 until 2018, working in the Embroidery area. She has exhibited in Ireland, England, Europe and America and has been the recipient of a number of awards in her career including 1st prize in the National Patchwork Championships, The European Championships and awarded 1st prize at the R.D.S. 

Helen O’Hare has 22 years’ experience of working in Art Education including 5 years’ experience as a Textile Art Lecturer at the University of Ulster, Belfast. From 2009 until 2012 she was an Associate Member of the Research Institute of Art & Design in Textile Art, Centre for Applied Art Research at the University of Ulster and she is a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.