Emily Esdale

Naewhur Tae be Foun

Emily Esdale is a visual artist from Northern Ireland who graduated from Belfast School of Art in 2021 with an MFA in Fine Art. During her time as a student, she questioned different conceptual outcomes in her work and utilised the surrounding landscape as a conductor to express her vulnerability through photography, video and text by giving time and energy to a particular site.

Esdale’s current work ‘Naewhur Tae be Foun’ consists of photographing and recording the landscape with what she describes as “the presence of absence” – the absence being her normal self. For example, the Antrim Hills, are filled with positive memories for her but have been transformed by Esdale’s inner emotions. By creating a video alongside her photography, she merges time and place together with a sense of vulnerability towards the landscape, by allowing time to pass to release her emotions and thoughts.

Esdale’s work ultimately seeks to explore the dynamic relationship between humans and the land and how certain places can impact our emotions.