Joanne Wheeler is a Northern Irish textile artist who uses punch needle embroidery to explore mythmaking between the traditional art of celtic design and the world of the fantastical. By using materials such as linen, wool and monks cloth she hopes to emphasise these influences in her work.
''My work uses the ancient art of punch needle needle embroidery to push the boundaries between traditional celtic design and to create new stories and landscapes using materials such as wool in a sculptural way. By making use of more contemporary colours I am trying to build a fantastical narrative in my art, whilst still maintaining a figurative element that requires a lot of detail and care. My landscapes have a footing in the natural world but I have added celtic animal designs which act as totems, a bridge from the ancient world to the modern.''