FREE PALESTINE!
Jessica (Weber) Patterson
For the past five years, I have been living between Donegal and Belfast, continuing a creative and socially engaged journey that began over a decade ago in Berlin. I moved to the city in 2011, immersing myself in its vibrant arts scene while working as a freelance photojournalist, photo editor and collage artist for various media outlets and newspapers. In 2019, I joined Stattlab, a screen print lab, where I deepened my understanding of collaborate work and further exploration of printing and photographic techniques, discovering new ways to merge image-making with tactile, hands-on processes. I continue to develop these techniques today as a member of the Belfast Print Workshop.
Now based in Ireland, I work as a socially engaged multidisciplinary artist. My practice is shaped by an early background in performing arts, visual art, and photography, but it was my work in photojournalism—working close to current affairs—that most clearly revealed the importance and necessity of community voice.
Carrying this understanding forward, my practice is rooted in collaboration and participatory methods—using photography, PhotoVoice, collage, installation and printmaking to create spaces for dialogue and exchange. I work to nurture environments where people can share their own narratives, challenge stereotypes, and imagine new possibilities together. Whether addressing local concerns, environmental struggles, or global justice, my focus is on fostering inclusive platforms that celebrate community voices, spark creativity, connection, learning and collective action.