Siobhan Butler is an acclaimed visual artist and traditional percussive dancer. Informed by decades of study and engagement with traditional dance, alternative photographic methods, and ethnographic research, Siobhan’s creative methodology is a holistic incorporation of historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts. Her work has been seen on international stages and in institutions across the globe where her in-demand performances, showcases, and lectures have been featured. Siobhan draws from her passion for movement, local traditions, and nature along with their ephemeral qualities, finding inspiration in the commonalities between dance and visual art.
As a traditional dancer, Siobhan is privileged to have performed and collaborated with many of the leading traditional artists of the North Atlantic including Cherish the Ladies, Kevin Burke, Nic Gareiss, Nuala Kennedy, Kieran Jordan, and John Whelan to name a few. Since moving to Ireland from the US in 2016, Siobhan’s primary dance influences are some of County Clare’s greatest Set dancers and their unique “battering” style. She is honoured to share their steps and stories as oral history, folklore, and heritage continue to serve as huge inspirations for all of Siobhan’s creative work.
As a visual artist specialising in cyanotypes, her visual art plays with irony, utilising a photographic process dependent on UV light to create abstract images in a country known for its lack of sunlight. She uses materials sourced from the beaches and woodlands near her home to create images that allow the viewer to get lost in the image, finding new details and conjuring up new memories or associations each time.
Siobhan has a BA in Anthropology from Goddard College (USA) and a MA in Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick (IRE).
She lives in Ennistymon, Clare with her husband, stonemason and traditional musician, Dominic Keogh.
- Artist
- Dancer