Composed of traditionally spun pure Irish wool, The Insula Series was the first collection developed by Rhyme Studio and established an enduring exploration of Irish material, cultural history and contemporary form. The collection pays tribute to one of Ireland's most extraordinary contributions to the history of art. Emerging from the country's early medieval monastic culture more than 1,300 years ago, Insular Art developed a remarkably sophisticated visual language of spirals, interlace, geometry and symbolic form. Carried beyond Ireland through the movement of Irish monks and scholars, its influence extended across Europe and helped shape the development of medieval European art.
In Ireland, this period became associated with the Age of Saints and Scholars, an extraordinary era in which monasteries developed into important centres of learning and artistic production. The surviving manuscripts, metalwork and carved stone of the period reveal an astonishing command of pattern, symbolism, rhythm and abstraction. For Rhyme Studio, the intention was never to reproduce these ancient motifs.
Having encountered their visual descendants increasingly detached from their origins and reduced to familiar Celtic ornament, designer Claire McGovern sought to return to the elemental power of the original forms: circle, spiral, movement, repetition and line. The resulting works strip away much of the historical ornamentation to explore this ancient vocabulary through a contemporary and deliberately minimal design language.
“Insular Art was experimental, sophisticated and radical in its own time and we wanted to return to the extraordinary visual intelligence of these forms without simply reproducing the past. . The challenge was to approach it with that same freedom, while allowing the character of genuine Irish wool to become part of the work.” Claire McGovern, Founder & Creative Director
Each design begins as a hand-drawn artwork, evolving from studies of spirals, triskels and other elemental forms associated with Insular Art. Scale, asymmetry, negative space and abstraction transform these ancient references into contemporary compositions conceived equally as floor works and textile art. A palette drawn from the elemental Irish landscape combines with the depth, texture and character of pure wool to give each work a distinctly tactile and sculptural presence. Meticulously hand knotted or hand tufted, every piece connects an ancient visual vocabulary with natural material and contemporary making.
This approach established a philosophy that continues to inform Rhyme Studio today: that Irish cultural and material heritage can be a source of progressive contemporary design rather than reproduction or nostalgia. Through authentic natural material and experimental form, The Insula Series reasserts the relevance of an ancient Irish artistic language within the contemporary interior.
The Insula Series is produced in limited editions of 15, with works from the collection now held in permanent art collections. Individual works may also be commissioned in selected dimensions and colourways while maintaining the integrity of the original design.
The Insula Series digital catalogue is available upon request.
