Siobhán Collins

'Worry Biddys' combines drawing, sculpture, and sound in an installation that explores anxiety, the comfort of ritual, and sympathetic magic. Set in an illustrated kitchen, a domestic grotto is revealed, offering a place for daily solace.

The wire sculptures began as St. Brigid's crosses, but through the addition of pot scrubbers and plaster, they were transformed into Biddy Dolls. The plaster and wire naturally rust and gradually disintegrate, embodying the process of transformation. By using this method, I hoped to transfer my anxieties to the Biddys through contagious magic. As the sculptures disintegrate, so too will I be transformed—my worries turning to golden dust.

As part of my research into the customs and rituals of St. Brigid, particularly those used to protect against misfortune and illness, I filmed St. Brigid’s Well (Dabhach Bhríde) in Ballysteen, County Clare, a sacred work of art. Additional inspiration came from the works of Alice Maher, Richard Proffitt, and Mick Peters.