About Nancy…
And this is the wonder
that’s keeping the stars apart…
I am a Canadian photographer and Irish mamaí. Professionally, I am a member of Women Photograph and United Photojournalists of Canada. My work explores the interconnectedness between humans and our environment, examining themes of isolation, belonging, erasure, memory, navigation, boundaries, and health.
Of special focus are reproductive, maternal and mental health and the rights of those most affected by targeted oppression and systemic failure to safeguard them. Polar health also draws my eye, particularly in the Arctic, including its food security, cultural preservation, vulnerability to climate change and the myriad consequences from the ongoing fallout of colonialism upon its land and inhabitants. I seek to use my lens to push past traditional perceptions of home, family, gender and the north.
An ongoing documentary project, Womb, is a visual ultrasound of 'what we carry and what we shed' and how courage and resilience bleed through the myriad ways the uterus affects our lives, good or bad.
In June 2021, I earned my Masters in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography—With Distinction; my final major project, Cáithnín, unveils how the technological pace of our lives often prevents us from deeper connection with our planet and nature. I meet and document various humans affirming the dire need for all of us to pay greater attention to our environment and to carve moments of stillness within our days so that we might access awe. Cáithnín is a testament that we are not separate from the planet that birthed us. We inhabit and belong to one global eco-system. How we treat our planet has repercussions on ourselves and our collective future.
I’m also interested in how the use of technology benefits us and our health. Please check out my collaborative documentary project, Addressing Loss. You can read about it here in Memory Lanes: Google’s Map of Our Lives by Guardian journalist Sirin Kale for Observer Magazine.
Prior to acquiring my MA, I was self-taught. I began photography in 2010 as a practice in healing and self-care and my initial attempt to document was an examination of self. Photography continues to be a healing practice for me.