The Gallery Whitehead showing new exhibition 'Fifty: A Return to Cloth' by Causeway artist Norma Beggs
A new exhibition by Causeway Coast textile artist Norma Beggs is showing at The Gallery Whitehead.
‘Fifty: A Return to Cloth’ by Norma Beggs brings together a body of work that explores colour, structure and light through stitched and layered textiles.
The exhibition marks a significant point in Beggs’ practice - a return to working with fabric and stitch, where repetition and material become a way of thinking as much as making.
“This work came from going back to something familiar – cloth, stitch, repetition - and realising it was where my voice had been sitting all along. The pieces build slowly, line by line, holding colour, light and movement in a way that feels both structured and intuitive,” the artist said.
Across the exhibition, influences drawn from the coastline are evident in shifting tonal palettes and horizon-like compositions, where subtle changes in colour and density evoke atmosphere and depth. More recent pieces extend this exploration through the introduction of light, with illuminated works bringing an added dimension to the relationship between material and perception.
The exhibition opened to a warm and engaged crowd earlier in May, with visitors spending time with the work and sharing their responses.
One visitor praised the “exquisite creations” as “inspiring a meditative state”, while Cynthia Waddell, owner of The Gallery said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to host Norma’s Fifty: A Return to Cloth exhibition. Through our conversations, it’s clear how important textile work is to her, and how it has helped her find her voice. I would encourage anyone interested in textile art to visit the gallery and experience the work.”
Edel Murphy, CEO of University of the Atypical added: “Catching up with artists and seeing the work they create is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the development of Norma’s work over the past two years, and would encourage anyone who has the chance to go and see it.”
Early development of this work was supported through the Deaf Disabled Artist Support Fund, 2024, funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through The National Lottery.
Fifty: A Return to Cloth will run throughout May 2026 at The Gallery Whitehead.