Arwen’s work explores the politics of surveillance, using video, projection, and
painting to look at how people are watched, recorded, and made visible by
technology. Her practice focuses on observation, identity, and self-representation,
questioning how surveillance affects both public and private life.
She films Limerick City with a hidden camera, recording everyday moments.
Her role shifts between observer and participant, blurring the line between the
person watching and the one being watched.
Paintings of silhouetted figures are layered into this work. These silhouettes are
based on footage she’s taken, sometimes of herself and others. The
figures are stripped of detail, becoming outlines or shadows.
When placed alongside video footage, the tension between stillness and movement
adds another layer to the work, reinforcing the unease of being looked at without
consent or context.
Through large-scale projection, Arwen transforms the footage she’s collected with
her paintings into immersive installations. The physical scale pulls the viewer into the
space, making them aware of their presence and role in the act of looking