Ciara Hession – Faces by Numbers

Project Details

Growing up in Ballymun, community events involving music, fun and face painting were a big part of my childhood. Never having many resources, these events were held mostly in the shopping centre. They played a huge role in bringing our community together, creating fond memories for me and many children from Ballymun in the 90’s. I attribute my love of this medium to this time, and you could say that this is where my journey with art and creativity began.

I’ve always had that passion for art and nature from a young age, yet seeing that passion also come from volunteers and working alongside those event organisers who gave so much time and grá to our little area throughout the years has been truly inspirational for me.

Being a person who has carried the weight of illness throughout my life, there have been times when my creative ability has been limited, yet face painting has given me a window of positive creativity and that’s always brought me back to my “why”: the children, the hope for the future.

Experiencing children’s faces light up when being painted gives me a wholesome feeling – knowing these small moments will encourage bigger creative ones in their future, as it did for me. The one-on-one interaction with the person being painted gives me an opportunity to view their perception of the world.

This project gave me and my participants, who are all important and influential in my life, a moment to look through the eyes of their present self and inner child, imagining or feeling what they would like to see within the future of Ballymun by looking upon the past.

Photography: Jen Harrington