Profile
Mette Sofie Roche, originally from North-Norway, but living in Ireland for the past 30+ years, currently in a restored barn in Co. Meath, where she also has her studio. A restored schoolhouse in the North of Norway serves as a second studio during the summer.
She has been a member of the Old Schoolhouse Art Group in Dunboyne since its foundation in 2001. and of the Meath Arts Group since 2007, and has exhibited extensively with them in and around Co. Meath. Since she retired from a full time career as a social worker she got involved in more formal art education as well as having a full time art practise. After completing a Diploma in Art & Design in 2011 she has been a founding member of INEX, a group of contemporary artists based mainly in Dublin. She is a member of VAI (Visual Artists Ireland) and Feltmakers Ireland.
Her paintings and sculptures are in many private collections in Norway, England, Holland and Ireland. A commissioned painting is in a government office in Navan and she features in ’Profiles in Felt” a publication by Feltmakers Ireland.
Artistic Statement
Mette Sofie Roche is a process oriented and multidiscipline artist who uses a wide spectrum of both materials and methods in her art practise. Everything she produces is the outcome of a process. Existential themes like inner strength and identity are the foundations for the work processes. The process is both experimental and physical, a physicality which has as it aim to satisfy her strong need for contact with the materials and to manipulate them to try out new ways of expression. The art work have references to traditional craft techniques as well as experiences and memories of growing up in North Norway, her birth country. Memories of cultural traditions, of extreme colours, light and seasonal rhythms left strong impressions and is an important influence on her artistic expression. The work which she creates draws from what is stored in her memory. She attempts to visually define what is otherwise hidden. It is taken from the past and sent into the future. The fact that she has lived outside Norway for over 30 years have given her an emotional distance which have enabled her to see her ancestral connections more clearly and objectively and therefore given her a greater artistic freedom.
CV
2011: NCAD, Dublin: Diploma in Art and Design
2010: NCAD, Dublin: Certificate in Drawing and Visual Investigation
2009: Dunboyne College of Further Education, FETAC level 6 “Art and Art
Business”
2008: Solstice Art Student of the year Award
2008: Dunboyne College of Further Education. FETAC level 5, Art
Portfolio course
2008: Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin, “Painting to the exhibitions” weekly
workshop
2008: Studio 10, IMMA, Dublin, weekly workshop with Beth O’Halloran
2008: Rossnarea Art School, Co Meath: Life drawing classes
2000–04: Painting and drawing classes with Marysia Harasimowicz
1992: Burren collage of Art, course in Art Therapy
1991: Burren Collage of Art, watercolour course with Pauline Bewick
1990: Burren Collage of Art, watercolour course with Pauline Bewick
1978: Weaving workshop with Judy Toner (Irish weaver)
1977: Dunlaoghaire School of Art, Ireland – courses in Ceramics and
sculpture
1976: Dunlaoghaire School of Art, Ireland – courses in Ceramics and
sculpturefeb
Exhibitions:
Solo exhibition : Siggerud Gallery, Bodoe, Norway August 2012
Group exhibition: “Missing Meath”, Solstice, Navan. Jan/Feb 2013
Group exhibition: ”Sculpture in Context”, Dublin Sept/Oct 2012
Group exhibition: “Surveyor”, Solstice Art Centre, Navan June/Aug 2012
Group exhibition: INEX, Market Studio, Dublin June 2012
Group exhibition – “Sculpture in Context”, Dublin Sept/Oct 2011
Group exhibition – Solstice Art Festival, Art Trail June 2011
Group exhibition – Maynooth Flower festival June 2011
Group exhibition – Solstice Art Centre, Navan Fb/March 2011
Group exhibition – Solstice Art Centre, Navan Jan 2011
Group exhibition – Trim Library, co. Meath Sep. 2010
Group exhibition – Cabra Library , Dublin May 2010
Group exhibition – In between, Solstice Art Centre, Navan Jan. 2010
Group exhibition – Tohrad Gallery, Ashbourne Dec. 2009
Group exhibition – Castletown House, Celbridge June 2009
Group exhibition – RHA Unselected show , Dublin May 2009
Group exhibition – Spirit of Dunboyne Festival – , Oct. 2009
Group exhibition – Spirit of Dunboyne Festival Sept 2008,
Group exhibition – Public space, Trim May 2008
Group exhibition – Fusion Exhibition/Toradh Art Centre May 2008
Group exhibition – Bru Na Boina/Solstice Art Centre Nov/Dec 2008
Group exhibition – Public space, Leixlip July 2007
Group exhibition – Public space, Trim May 2006
Group exhibition – Independent artists Network, Dalkey Nov 2006
Group exhibition – Independent artists Network, Dalkey Nov 2006
Group exhibition – ——“——-, Lucan April 2005
Group exhibition – Peoples’ Art, Lucan Nov 2004
Group exhibition – Public space Trim April 2004
Group exhibition – ——“———, Trim April 2004
Group exhibition – People’s Art, Lucan July 2003
Group exhibition – Public space, Dunshaughlin June 2002
Group exhibition – Public space, Blanchardstown April 2002
Dunboyne artists Christmas Exhibition annually 2001 – 11
Publication:
”Profiles in Felt” by Feltmakers Ireland – launched Nov. 2011
Forthcoming Exhibition
Two person exhibition: Toradh Gallery, Ashbourne, Co. Meath – July/Aug. 2013
Group Exhibition: Tayto Park, Curragha, Co. Meath – Sept. 2013