ABOUT THE ARTIST AND HER ART
A MATCH FOR LIFE BY EMMA RUSHWORTH [SCULPTURE IN ONTEXT 8 SEPTEMBER 2025]
The Life and Art of Emma Jane Rushworth: Weaving Character in Wire
An Introduction to the Art of Emma Jane Rushworth: Weaving Life in Wire
In the landscape of contemporary Irish sculpture, Emma Jane Rushworth occupies a unique and vital space. Working from her studio in the verdant surroundings of County Wicklow, she creates sculptures that capture the vital essence and spirit of wildlife through the unlikely medium of metal. Her work presents a compelling paradox: from hard, unyielding materials such as stainless steel and bronze, she coaxes forms that are fluid, animate, and imbued with a palpable sense of life. Her creations, which populate private gardens and public spaces across Ireland and the globe, are not static representations but dynamic portraits of character, movement, and emotion.
Rushworth’s art is rooted in a profound and personal philosophy she describes as creation from the "Head, Heart, and Hand". This holistic approach underscores a practice that is at once intellectually rigorous, emotionally resonant, and technically masterful. Her primary themes are drawn from the natural world she so deeply admires, but her work extends into the human realm of memory, celebration, and commemoration. Many of her pieces are commissioned to mark significant family milestones, becoming cherished landmarks in the lives of their owners. It is this capacity to blend the wild with the personal that lends her sculptures a quality frequently described as "magical". They possess a distinctive blend of whimsy and gravitas, offering both "humour and character" to the spaces they inhabit. Emma Jane Rushworth's body of work, therefore, represents a unique synthesis of a sophisticated design background, an innate connection to the natural world, and a collaborative, resilient spirit. The result is a collection of sculptures that function not merely as decorative objects, but as enduring, emotional heirlooms destined to be passed down through generations.
The Formative Journey: From Global Childhood to Irish Craft
A Cosmopolitan Upbringing
The foundations of Emma Jane Rushworth’s artistic sensibility were laid during a uniquely cosmopolitan childhood. Born in Kitwe, Zambia, she spent her formative years travelling the world, a consequence of her father's career as a Petroleum Engineer. This nomadic upbringing exposed her to a rich tapestry of cultures and landscapes, fostering an adaptability and worldly perspective that would later inform her creative practice. For her formal artistic education, she chose to settle in the United Kingdom, attending art college in Oxfordshire before matriculating at the University of Northumbria.
Formal Education and an Award-Winning Career in Fashion
At university, Rushworth pursued Fashion Design and Marketing, a field that demands a rigorous understanding of form, structure, and material. She excelled in her studies, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree and earning a prestigious award for her designs from the Royal Academy of Art in London. This academic success launched an impressive international career in the high-stakes world of fashion that would span two to three decades. Her journey as a designer took her to the industry's key epicentres, from the haute couture houses of Paris to the mass-market production centres of Hong Kong. During a period working in India, she created intricate weaving and embroidery designs, honing a deep appreciation for handcrafted detail that would resonate in her later sculptural work.
Her career in fashion eventually led her to Ireland, where she took on a role designing the "Gold Range" of ladies' occasion wear for the brand Michael H. This venture proved highly successful, culminating in the collection winning "Brand of the Year" in 2005, a significant pinnacle in her design career.
The Pivot to a New Craft
Despite her success, a deeper creative calling began to emerge. In 2006, Rushworth transitioned from fashion to establish her own interior design company, during which time she also developed a unique range of 100% natural clay paints. This move signalled a shift towards more permanent and spatially-aware forms of design. The final, decisive pivot occurred around 2009, driven by what she describes as a "passion for gardening and nature" and a fundamental "need to work with my hands". In a powerful symbolic act, she swapped her "sewing machine for a workroom with wire, soldering tools and heavy tools," embarking on the creative venture that would become her life's defining work.
This extensive background in commercial design is not a mere footnote to her artistic biography but is, in fact, the fundamental grammar of her sculptural language. The decades spent in fashion and interiors cultivated an expert understanding of silhouette, structure, and material behaviour. More importantly, these fields are inherently client-centric, requiring deep consultation and the ability to create bespoke pieces for specific contexts—be it a human body or a living space. This skill set was not abandoned but expertly transferred to her new medium. Her heavily commission-based practice, which often involves creating deeply personal works to celebrate family milestones, directly benefits from the client-focused mindset she honed as a designer. Her sculptures are conceived "for... outdoor spaces and gardens," demonstrating a sophisticated awareness of context and placement that is central to the disciplines of garden and interior design.
The Huntsworth Studio: A Partnership Forged in Metal
Humble Beginnings and a Fateful Collaboration
Rushworth’s initial forays into sculpture began in the most modest of settings, first on her "kitchen Counter" before she gradually established a dedicated workshop in her garden. It was in this nascent stage that the most crucial element of her future practice was forged: the creative partnership with her husband, Paul. A talented welder, Paul observed her early work from the sidelines and recognised a critical area for development. He saw where greater internal structure was needed to support her increasingly ambitious forms, and at that point, as Rushworth states, "we joined forces".
The Artist and The Engineer
This collaboration evolved into a dynamic and synergistic partnership that defines their studio today. The roles are clearly delineated: "Emma's the artist and Paul The Enginer and welder of all things wonderful". Paul’s introduction of a "welded armature" for the animal sculptures was a pivotal technical innovation. This engineered skeleton provided a robust and stable foundation, making the creative process "easier for Emma" and, crucially, enabling the duo to tackle "more and more challenging pieces" with greater complexity and scale. This fusion of artistic vision and engineering expertise fundamentally challenges the romantic archetype of the solitary artist. Their studio operates as a modern artisanal enterprise where creative expression is inextricably linked with technical problem-solving, allowing them to achieve a level of scale, durability, and sophistication that might be unattainable for a solo practitioner.
Evolution of Technique and Materiality
Over the past decade, their technique has undergone significant evolution, driven by a relentless pursuit of quality and permanence. An early description of Rushworth's process details the use of "hand woven wire" followed by galvanisation for endurance, sometimes personalised with Swarovski crystals. While effective, their methodology has since matured into a more robust and refined practice. Their deep understanding of materials, honed over ten years of testing and learning, led them to focus on metals that can withstand the rigours of the Irish climate. Today, they work primarily in stainless steel and bronze, chosen specifically for their durability in outdoor environments.
The current process involves Paul first creating the stainless steel armature, the structural "bones" of the sculpture. Emma then undertakes the painstaking process of weaving the bronze wire onto this frame over "many many hours," skilfully building up the form, texture, and character of the final piece. This commitment to quality materials and construction has a direct impact on the longevity of the work. As Rushworth herself reflects, "maybe 10 years ago they would have last for 10 10 15 years now they will last for a couple of lifetimes".
The Birth of 'Huntsworth Sculptures'
The culmination of this collaborative evolution is the "Huntsworth collection". The creation of this distinct brand name is significant, as it moves beyond a single artist's name to encapsulate their joint creative force. It represents a promise to their clients—a guarantee of quality, durability, and a shared commitment to creating pieces that "will last a lifetime and more in the garden". The promise that their sculptures will "outlive you" and "be passed on for generations" is not a mere artistic sentiment; it is a pledge underwritten by the sound engineering and material science at the heart of their collaborative practice.
The Living Sculpture: Animating Wildlife with Humour and Heart
Inspiration from the 'Garden of Ireland'
The primary muse for Emma Jane Rushworth's art is the landscape that surrounds her workshop. She is deeply "Inspired by the beautiful Wicklow countryside and nature that surrounds me". This profound "love for wildlife and the great outdoors" is the consistent, animating force behind her work, a passion she says "keeps both me and my sculptures alive". Her sculptures are not just observations of nature but are translations of her deep connection to it, attempts to capture the spirit of the living creatures that inhabit her world.
A Bestiary of Characters
Over the years, Rushworth has developed a personal bestiary of recurring subjects, each rendered with a unique personality. Hares are a particular favourite, often depicted in the dynamic pose of "boxing hares". Her portfolio is populated with creeping foxes, majestic stags, elegant herons, and proud peacocks. Alongside these realistic depictions, she ventures into the realm of the fantastical, creating whimsical fairies that seem to have alighted from a storybook. Her artistic goal, however, extends far beyond simple representation. The true challenge, as she sees it, is to "capture living things". Through a masterful manipulation of line and form, she imbues each piece with its "very own character," transforming inert metal into a creature that seems poised for movement and possessed of an inner life.
The Emotional Core: Milestones and Memorials
A defining aspect of Rushworth's practice is the profound emotional role her sculptures play in the lives of her clients. A significant portion of her work is commission-based, created to "celebrate a special family milestone such as a wedding anniversary" or to serve as a poignant "tribute to keep a memory alive" for lost loved ones. Rushworth approaches this sensitive work with great care, stating that she feels "honored and privileged" to be entrusted with such meaningful projects.
The sculptures she creates for these occasions transcend their function as art objects. They become deeply integrated into the fabric of family life, taking on the status of "a new member of their family's". This remarkable bond is something Rushworth cherishes; she speaks of the "greatest reward" being the receipt of images from clients showing her sculptures included in family events, sometimes adorned with bows, as if they were living participants. This phenomenon reveals that her work functions as a form of contemporary heirloom-making. The sculptures serve as physical anchors for memory, emotion, and family history. Her conscious decision to use materials that ensure the works "last for a couple of lifetimes" directly mirrors the desire for the sentiments they represent to endure. In commissioning a piece, clients are not just acquiring a beautiful object; they are co-creating a future antique, a vessel for their personal and familial narrative that is designed to last for generations.
The Artist's Philosophy
Rushworth’s deep personal connection to her work is evident in her descriptions of the creative process. She explains that each piece begins as "an image in my Head come from the Heart and are made by my Hand," a simple but powerful summary of her holistic approach. She is candid about the demanding nature of her craft, acknowledging that the sculpting process is "physically difficult it's mentally. difficult. but I absolely absolutely love. it". This labour is a labour of love, born from a conviction that she is "doing what I'm meant to be. doing". For Rushworth, the workshop is not just a place of work but a place where she feels "very much at home," fulfilling her true vocation.
Art in the Public Heart: Major Commissions and Exhibitions
Beyond her extensive private commissions, Emma Jane Rushworth has a significant and growing profile as a public artist, creating large-scale works that engage a wider community. Her ability to create pieces that are both accessible and deeply meaningful has led to a number of high-profile projects across Ireland.
Significant Public Commissions
Among her public works, the LauraLynn Memorial Tree stands out as perhaps her most poignant and socially significant project. Created for the LauraLynn Children's Hospice, this life-size tree is a living memorial. Each time a child under the hospice's care passes away, a leaf inscribed with their name is added to its branches. It is an ongoing, evolving sculpture that provides a powerful focal point for remembrance and grief. The project continues to develop, with the leaves gathered each year to be made into a sunflower, symbolising continued life and memory.
Rushworth has also been commissioned for several government-funded projects that celebrate Ireland's natural heritage. These include a large-scale dragonfly sculpture for the Burren Nature Sanctuary, a piece that captures the delicate form of the insect on a grand scale. The creation of this piece was documented in a podcast episode, highlighting public interest in her process. For the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, she was commissioned to create a hare sculpture, another tribute to the country's native fauna. More locally, her work is a feature of Wicklow Town's "Wicklow Wander Walls" art trail, for which she created
The Wicklow Heron, a sculpture inspired by the birds frequently spotted along the town's river. Other notable public pieces include a work titled "the last wolf in Ireland" and installations at Greystones' Theatre Lane, further cementing her presence in the public realm.
Exhibitions and Festivals
Rushworth maintains an active and visible presence in the Irish art and craft scene through regular participation in prestigious festivals and exhibitions. She has shown her work at the highly regarded Ballymaloe Craft Fair on multiple occasions, including in 2019 and with a planned appearance in 2024. She has also been a frequent exhibitor at the Bord Bia Bloom festival, Ireland's premier gardening event, which provides a perfect context for her nature-inspired sculptures.
Looking ahead, her exhibition schedule demonstrates her continued prominence. She is slated to show a selection of her work at the 2025 Punchestown Festival. A particularly significant upcoming event is the Form Sculpture Exhibition at Bangor Castle Gardens, where a substantial collection of her work will be on display for the entire month of June 2025, offering a major opportunity for public engagement with her art.
Media Presence and Recognition
Her growing reputation is reflected in her media presence, which includes features in magazines and on Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE. She was notably a finalist in the RTE television programme
Super Garden in 2014 and has been featured on the popular nature radio show "Mooney Goes Wild". Professionally, she is a registered member of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland and is listed in the directory of Visual Artists Ireland, affiliations that underscore her standing within the national creative community.
Trial by Fire: Resilience and the Rebirth of a Studio
The Catastrophe
On 10 March 2021, Emma Jane Rushworth’s artistic journey was met with a devastating catastrophe. She awoke in the morning to find her beloved garden studio in Greystones completely "engulfed in flames". The fire was absolute in its destruction. By the time it was extinguished, the loss was total. The structure itself was gone, along with numerous partially-completed commissions, all of her specialised tools, equipment, raw materials, and, perhaps most heartbreakingly, her portfolios and sketches. As the fundraising appeal later stated, "Nothing remained".
The Aftermath and Community Support
In the face of this profound professional and personal crisis, two things became immediately apparent: Rushworth's own deep well of resilience and the extraordinary strength of her community. Her clients, whose commissioned pieces were lost in the fire, responded with grace and patience. A GoFundMe campaign was quickly organised on her behalf to help ease the immense financial burden of rebuilding the studio and sustaining her family while their livelihood was interrupted. The response was overwhelming. Rushworth later reflected on the "unforgettable" kindness she was shown, stating that the "kindness and support of my family friends and faithful client" was the defining memory of that difficult time.
Working Through Adversity
This outpouring of support galvanised Rushworth's determination to continue her work. Undeterred by the loss of her dedicated workspace, she adapted with remarkable fortitude. She completed sculptures in 2021 from her "kitchen table," in a "temporary workshop as the roof leaked into a bucket by my side," and even in her back garden in the sunshine. This refusal to be defeated, and her commitment to fulfilling her obligations to her clients amidst the chaos, speaks volumes about her character and her dedication to her craft.
A Defining Experience
The studio fire was more than just a setback; it was a crucible moment that tested and ultimately affirmed her path as an artist. Rushworth states that the experience "has made us stronger," transforming a tragedy into a formative part of her artistic narrative. This real-world trial of loss and subsequent rebirth through collective support adds a powerful layer of authenticity to her entire body of work. For an artist who so often creates memorial pieces to help others process grief and loss, such as the
LauraLynn Memorial Tree, this experience created a profound resonance between her life and her art. Her understanding of loss was no longer merely empathetic; it had become experiential. The fire, therefore, stands as a key chapter in her story, one that deepens the meaning of her oeuvre and demonstrates that the themes of endurance, memory, and renewal present in her sculptures are also central tenets of her own life.
Conclusion: The Enduring Magic of a Rushworth Sculpture
The artistic journey of Emma Jane Rushworth is a compelling narrative of transformation and dedication. From an award-winning career in the ephemeral world of international fashion design, she has emerged as one of Ireland's most distinctive and cherished sculptors. Her path demonstrates a remarkable transference of skills, where a designer's eye for form, structure, and client-centric creation was repurposed for the more permanent and personal medium of metal sculpture. This foundation, combined with the vital engineering expertise of her husband and partner Paul, has resulted in the collaborative powerhouse of Huntsworth Sculptures—a studio defined by its synergy of artistic vision and technical mastery.
At the heart of her work lies a profound and authentic connection to the natural world, particularly the wildlife of her adopted home in County Wicklow. Yet her sculptures are more than just faithful representations; they are character studies in steel and bronze, imbued with a life, humour, and magic that captivates the imagination. Her success lies in her ability to bridge the gap between public art and private meaning. Her large-scale commissions enrich the national landscape, while her private works become deeply embedded in the histories of the families who own them.
Her resilience in the face of the devastating 2021 studio fire serves as a powerful testament to her spirit and the strong community that surrounds her. This experience adds a poignant depth to her work, reinforcing the themes of endurance and memory that are already so central to her art. In the final analysis, Emma Jane Rushworth's contribution to contemporary Irish craft is the creation of a new kind of heirloom. By consciously choosing durable materials and creating sculptures intended to be passed down through generations, she is not just making art for the present. She is actively crafting the antiques of the future, ensuring that her magical, characterful creations will continue to tell their stories for lifetimes to come.
The Life and Art of Emma Jane Rushworth: Weaving Character in Wire
An Introduction to the Art of Emma Jane Rushworth: Weaving Life in Wire
In the landscape of contemporary Irish sculpture, Emma Jane Rushworth occupies a unique and vital space. Working from her studio in the verdant surroundings of County Wicklow, she creates sculptures that capture the vital essence and spirit of wildlife through the unlikely medium of metal. Her work presents a compelling paradox: from hard, unyielding materials such as stainless steel and bronze, she coaxes forms that are fluid, animate, and imbued with a palpable sense of life. Her creations, which populate private gardens and public spaces across Ireland and the globe, are not static representations but dynamic portraits of character, movement, and emotion.
Rushworth’s art is rooted in a profound and personal philosophy she describes as creation from the "Head, Heart, and Hand". This holistic approach underscores a practice that is at once intellectually rigorous, emotionally resonant, and technically masterful. Her primary themes are drawn from the natural world she so deeply admires, but her work extends into the human realm of memory, celebration, and commemoration. Many of her pieces are commissioned to mark significant family milestones, becoming cherished landmarks in the lives of their owners. It is this capacity to blend the wild with the personal that lends her sculptures a quality frequently described as "magical". They possess a distinctive blend of whimsy and gravitas, offering both "humour and character" to the spaces they inhabit. Emma Jane Rushworth's body of work, therefore, represents a unique synthesis of a sophisticated design background, an innate connection to the natural world, and a collaborative, resilient spirit. The result is a collection of sculptures that function not merely as decorative objects, but as enduring, emotional heirlooms destined to be passed down through generations.
The Formative Journey: From Global Childhood to Irish Craft
A Cosmopolitan Upbringing
The foundations of Emma Jane Rushworth’s artistic sensibility were laid during a uniquely cosmopolitan childhood. Born in Kitwe, Zambia, she spent her formative years travelling the world, a consequence of her father's career as a Petroleum Engineer. This nomadic upbringing exposed her to a rich tapestry of cultures and landscapes, fostering an adaptability and worldly perspective that would later inform her creative practice. For her formal artistic education, she chose to settle in the United Kingdom, attending art college in Oxfordshire before matriculating at the University of Northumbria.
Formal Education and an Award-Winning Career in Fashion
At university, Rushworth pursued Fashion Design and Marketing, a field that demands a rigorous understanding of form, structure, and material. She excelled in her studies, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree and earning a prestigious award for her designs from the Royal Academy of Art in London. This academic success launched an impressive international career in the high-stakes world of fashion that would span two to three decades. Her journey as a designer took her to the industry's key epicentres, from the haute couture houses of Paris to the mass-market production centres of Hong Kong. During a period working in India, she created intricate weaving and embroidery designs, honing a deep appreciation for handcrafted detail that would resonate in her later sculptural work.
Her career in fashion eventually led her to Ireland, where she took on a role designing the "Gold Range" of ladies' occasion wear for the brand Michael H. This venture proved highly successful, culminating in the collection winning "Brand of the Year" in 2005, a significant pinnacle in her design career.
The Pivot to a New Craft
Despite her success, a deeper creative calling began to emerge. In 2006, Rushworth transitioned from fashion to establish her own interior design company, during which time she also developed a unique range of 100% natural clay paints. This move signalled a shift towards more permanent and spatially-aware forms of design. The final, decisive pivot occurred around 2009, driven by what she describes as a "passion for gardening and nature" and a fundamental "need to work with my hands". In a powerful symbolic act, she swapped her "sewing machine for a workroom with wire, soldering tools and heavy tools," embarking on the creative venture that would become her life's defining work.
This extensive background in commercial design is not a mere footnote to her artistic biography but is, in fact, the fundamental grammar of her sculptural language. The decades spent in fashion and interiors cultivated an expert understanding of silhouette, structure, and material behaviour. More importantly, these fields are inherently client-centric, requiring deep consultation and the ability to create bespoke pieces for specific contexts—be it a human body or a living space. This skill set was not abandoned but expertly transferred to her new medium. Her heavily commission-based practice, which often involves creating deeply personal works to celebrate family milestones, directly benefits from the client-focused mindset she honed as a designer. Her sculptures are conceived "for... outdoor spaces and gardens," demonstrating a sophisticated awareness of context and placement that is central to the disciplines of garden and interior design.
The Huntsworth Studio: A Partnership Forged in Metal
Humble Beginnings and a Fateful Collaboration
Rushworth’s initial forays into sculpture began in the most modest of settings, first on her "kitchen Counter" before she gradually established a dedicated workshop in her garden. It was in this nascent stage that the most crucial element of her future practice was forged: the creative partnership with her husband, Paul. A talented welder, Paul observed her early work from the sidelines and recognised a critical area for development. He saw where greater internal structure was needed to support her increasingly ambitious forms, and at that point, as Rushworth states, "we joined forces".
The Artist and The Engineer
This collaboration evolved into a dynamic and synergistic partnership that defines their studio today. The roles are clearly delineated: "Emma's the artist and Paul The Enginer and welder of all things wonderful". Paul’s introduction of a "welded armature" for the animal sculptures was a pivotal technical innovation. This engineered skeleton provided a robust and stable foundation, making the creative process "easier for Emma" and, crucially, enabling the duo to tackle "more and more challenging pieces" with greater complexity and scale. This fusion of artistic vision and engineering expertise fundamentally challenges the romantic archetype of the solitary artist. Their studio operates as a modern artisanal enterprise where creative expression is inextricably linked with technical problem-solving, allowing them to achieve a level of scale, durability, and sophistication that might be unattainable for a solo practitioner.
Evolution of Technique and Materiality
Over the past decade, their technique has undergone significant evolution, driven by a relentless pursuit of quality and permanence. An early description of Rushworth's process details the use of "hand woven wire" followed by galvanisation for endurance, sometimes personalised with Swarovski crystals. While effective, their methodology has since matured into a more robust and refined practice. Their deep understanding of materials, honed over ten years of testing and learning, led them to focus on metals that can withstand the rigours of the Irish climate. Today, they work primarily in stainless steel and bronze, chosen specifically for their durability in outdoor environments.
The current process involves Paul first creating the stainless steel armature, the structural "bones" of the sculpture. Emma then undertakes the painstaking process of weaving the bronze wire onto this frame over "many many hours," skilfully building up the form, texture, and character of the final piece. This commitment to quality materials and construction has a direct impact on the longevity of the work. As Rushworth herself reflects, "maybe 10 years ago they would have last for 10 10 15 years now they will last for a couple of lifetimes".
The Birth of 'Huntsworth Sculptures'
The culmination of this collaborative evolution is the "Huntsworth collection". The creation of this distinct brand name is significant, as it moves beyond a single artist's name to encapsulate their joint creative force. It represents a promise to their clients—a guarantee of quality, durability, and a shared commitment to creating pieces that "will last a lifetime and more in the garden". The promise that their sculptures will "outlive you" and "be passed on for generations" is not a mere artistic sentiment; it is a pledge underwritten by the sound engineering and material science at the heart of their collaborative practice.
The Living Sculpture: Animating Wildlife with Humour and Heart
Inspiration from the 'Garden of Ireland'
The primary muse for Emma Jane Rushworth's art is the landscape that surrounds her workshop. She is deeply "Inspired by the beautiful Wicklow countryside and nature that surrounds me". This profound "love for wildlife and the great outdoors" is the consistent, animating force behind her work, a passion she says "keeps both me and my sculptures alive". Her sculptures are not just observations of nature but are translations of her deep connection to it, attempts to capture the spirit of the living creatures that inhabit her world.
A Bestiary of Characters
Over the years, Rushworth has developed a personal bestiary of recurring subjects, each rendered with a unique personality. Hares are a particular favourite, often depicted in the dynamic pose of "boxing hares". Her portfolio is populated with creeping foxes, majestic stags, elegant herons, and proud peacocks. Alongside these realistic depictions, she ventures into the realm of the fantastical, creating whimsical fairies that seem to have alighted from a storybook. Her artistic goal, however, extends far beyond simple representation. The true challenge, as she sees it, is to "capture living things". Through a masterful manipulation of line and form, she imbues each piece with its "very own character," transforming inert metal into a creature that seems poised for movement and possessed of an inner life.
The Emotional Core: Milestones and Memorials
A defining aspect of Rushworth's practice is the profound emotional role her sculptures play in the lives of her clients. A significant portion of her work is commission-based, created to "celebrate a special family milestone such as a wedding anniversary" or to serve as a poignant "tribute to keep a memory alive" for lost loved ones. Rushworth approaches this sensitive work with great care, stating that she feels "honored and privileged" to be entrusted with such meaningful projects.
The sculptures she creates for these occasions transcend their function as art objects. They become deeply integrated into the fabric of family life, taking on the status of "a new member of their family's". This remarkable bond is something Rushworth cherishes; she speaks of the "greatest reward" being the receipt of images from clients showing her sculptures included in family events, sometimes adorned with bows, as if they were living participants. This phenomenon reveals that her work functions as a form of contemporary heirloom-making. The sculptures serve as physical anchors for memory, emotion, and family history. Her conscious decision to use materials that ensure the works "last for a couple of lifetimes" directly mirrors the desire for the sentiments they represent to endure. In commissioning a piece, clients are not just acquiring a beautiful object; they are co-creating a future antique, a vessel for their personal and familial narrative that is designed to last for generations.
The Artist's Philosophy
Rushworth’s deep personal connection to her work is evident in her descriptions of the creative process. She explains that each piece begins as "an image in my Head come from the Heart and are made by my Hand," a simple but powerful summary of her holistic approach. She is candid about the demanding nature of her craft, acknowledging that the sculpting process is "physically difficult it's mentally. difficult. but I absolely absolutely love. it". This labour is a labour of love, born from a conviction that she is "doing what I'm meant to be. doing". For Rushworth, the workshop is not just a place of work but a place where she feels "very much at home," fulfilling her true vocation.
Art in the Public Heart: Major Commissions and Exhibitions
Beyond her extensive private commissions, Emma Jane Rushworth has a significant and growing profile as a public artist, creating large-scale works that engage a wider community. Her ability to create pieces that are both accessible and deeply meaningful has led to a number of high-profile projects across Ireland.
Significant Public Commissions
Among her public works, the LauraLynn Memorial Tree stands out as perhaps her most poignant and socially significant project. Created for the LauraLynn Children's Hospice, this life-size tree is a living memorial. Each time a child under the hospice's care passes away, a leaf inscribed with their name is added to its branches. It is an ongoing, evolving sculpture that provides a powerful focal point for remembrance and grief. The project continues to develop, with the leaves gathered each year to be made into a sunflower, symbolising continued life and memory.
Rushworth has also been commissioned for several government-funded projects that celebrate Ireland's natural heritage. These include a large-scale dragonfly sculpture for the Burren Nature Sanctuary, a piece that captures the delicate form of the insect on a grand scale. The creation of this piece was documented in a podcast episode, highlighting public interest in her process. For the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, she was commissioned to create a hare sculpture, another tribute to the country's native fauna. More locally, her work is a feature of Wicklow Town's "Wicklow Wander Walls" art trail, for which she created
The Wicklow Heron, a sculpture inspired by the birds frequently spotted along the town's river. Other notable public pieces include a work titled "the last wolf in Ireland" and installations at Greystones' Theatre Lane, further cementing her presence in the public realm.
Exhibitions and Festivals
Rushworth maintains an active and visible presence in the Irish art and craft scene through regular participation in prestigious festivals and exhibitions. She has shown her work at the highly regarded Ballymaloe Craft Fair on multiple occasions, including in 2019 and with a planned appearance in 2024. She has also been a frequent exhibitor at the Bord Bia Bloom festival, Ireland's premier gardening event, which provides a perfect context for her nature-inspired sculptures.
Looking ahead, her exhibition schedule demonstrates her continued prominence. She is slated to show a selection of her work at the 2025 Punchestown Festival. A particularly significant upcoming event is the Form Sculpture Exhibition at Bangor Castle Gardens, where a substantial collection of her work will be on display for the entire month of June 2025, offering a major opportunity for public engagement with her art.
Media Presence and Recognition
Her growing reputation is reflected in her media presence, which includes features in magazines and on Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE. She was notably a finalist in the RTE television programme
Super Garden in 2014 and has been featured on the popular nature radio show "Mooney Goes Wild". Professionally, she is a registered member of the Design & Crafts Council Ireland and is listed in the directory of Visual Artists Ireland, affiliations that underscore her standing within the national creative community.
Trial by Fire: Resilience and the Rebirth of a Studio
The Catastrophe
On 10 March 2021, Emma Jane Rushworth’s artistic journey was met with a devastating catastrophe. She awoke in the morning to find her beloved garden studio in Greystones completely "engulfed in flames". The fire was absolute in its destruction. By the time it was extinguished, the loss was total. The structure itself was gone, along with numerous partially-completed commissions, all of her specialised tools, equipment, raw materials, and, perhaps most heartbreakingly, her portfolios and sketches. As the fundraising appeal later stated, "Nothing remained".
The Aftermath and Community Support
In the face of this profound professional and personal crisis, two things became immediately apparent: Rushworth's own deep well of resilience and the extraordinary strength of her community. Her clients, whose commissioned pieces were lost in the fire, responded with grace and patience. A GoFundMe campaign was quickly organised on her behalf to help ease the immense financial burden of rebuilding the studio and sustaining her family while their livelihood was interrupted. The response was overwhelming. Rushworth later reflected on the "unforgettable" kindness she was shown, stating that the "kindness and support of my family friends and faithful client" was the defining memory of that difficult time.
Working Through Adversity
This outpouring of support galvanised Rushworth's determination to continue her work. Undeterred by the loss of her dedicated workspace, she adapted with remarkable fortitude. She completed sculptures in 2021 from her "kitchen table," in a "temporary workshop as the roof leaked into a bucket by my side," and even in her back garden in the sunshine. This refusal to be defeated, and her commitment to fulfilling her obligations to her clients amidst the chaos, speaks volumes about her character and her dedication to her craft.
A Defining Experience
The studio fire was more than just a setback; it was a crucible moment that tested and ultimately affirmed her path as an artist. Rushworth states that the experience "has made us stronger," transforming a tragedy into a formative part of her artistic narrative. This real-world trial of loss and subsequent rebirth through collective support adds a powerful layer of authenticity to her entire body of work. For an artist who so often creates memorial pieces to help others process grief and loss, such as the
LauraLynn Memorial Tree, this experience created a profound resonance between her life and her art. Her understanding of loss was no longer merely empathetic; it had become experiential. The fire, therefore, stands as a key chapter in her story, one that deepens the meaning of her oeuvre and demonstrates that the themes of endurance, memory, and renewal present in her sculptures are also central tenets of her own life.
Conclusion: The Enduring Magic of a Rushworth Sculpture
The artistic journey of Emma Jane Rushworth is a compelling narrative of transformation and dedication. From an award-winning career in the ephemeral world of international fashion design, she has emerged as one of Ireland's most distinctive and cherished sculptors. Her path demonstrates a remarkable transference of skills, where a designer's eye for form, structure, and client-centric creation was repurposed for the more permanent and personal medium of metal sculpture. This foundation, combined with the vital engineering expertise of her husband and partner Paul, has resulted in the collaborative powerhouse of Huntsworth Sculptures—a studio defined by its synergy of artistic vision and technical mastery.
At the heart of her work lies a profound and authentic connection to the natural world, particularly the wildlife of her adopted home in County Wicklow. Yet her sculptures are more than just faithful representations; they are character studies in steel and bronze, imbued with a life, humour, and magic that captivates the imagination. Her success lies in her ability to bridge the gap between public art and private meaning. Her large-scale commissions enrich the national landscape, while her private works become deeply embedded in the histories of the families who own them.
Her resilience in the face of the devastating 2021 studio fire serves as a powerful testament to her spirit and the strong community that surrounds her. This experience adds a poignant depth to her work, reinforcing the themes of endurance and memory that are already so central to her art. In the final analysis, Emma Jane Rushworth's contribution to contemporary Irish craft is the creation of a new kind of heirloom. By consciously choosing durable materials and creating sculptures intended to be passed down through generations, she is not just making art for the present. She is actively crafting the antiques of the future, ensuring that her magical, characterful creations will continue to tell their stories for lifetimes to come.