"Where's my fada? Diptych"  recycled paint, construction drawings, and printer toner on wood panels. 96 x 72."

​

The diptych “Where’s my fada?” deals with concepts of duality in the diaspora. Here, I examine the paradox of being Irish, American, and Irish-American through the political nature of language. My first name, Ciaran, is both a product of colonization and a deliberate subversive decolonial action. I use the Irish language spelling “Ciaran” but pronounce it KEER-in as if it were “Kieran” the English spelling, leaving off an accent mark (fada) on the second “a.” The traditional “Ciarán” would be pronounced KEER-awn. Through the “a/á” motif I actively discern my national, ethnic, and cultural identities. Contrasting this pattern with images of my father working, I intend to juxtapose my internal contemplation against my external experiences of laboring alongside Irish immigrants in New York City.