Em Blake

Em Blake (ESTR) is a visual artist and poet based in Dublin, renowned for their large-scale portraits. Em’s work spans outdoor murals, studio pieces, poetry and teaching at Youthreach. They have painted and performed live at numerous events and created murals throughout Ireland and internationally.

Em’s art is frequently socio-political, and very much influenced by the world around them and issues they feel strongly about such as feminism, human rights, environmental concerns, and inequality. Their work often incorporates elements of pop culture and humour, aiming to provoke thought and dialogue. Em firmly believes in the power of public art to mirror society and to foster public discourse on cultural and societal issues.

I felt drawn (pun intended) to respond to the brief with a poem. It felt like the best way to fit in what I wanted to say about how I feel about Irish culture and identity and creativity.

I first handwrote the poem in a notebook, and then took a photo of my hand holding the notebook up, my claddagh ring I wear proudly visible. I used this photo as a starting point to sketch my design.

Writing it by hand was important, it keeps it human and personal rather than polished or overly designed. The piece reflects the pride I feel in being Irish, both when I’m home and surrounded by Irish culture and when I’m abroad and finding Irish culture in other places.