Analysis of Ciara Reilly’s Work

 ANALYSIS OF

CIARA REILLY’S

WORK

Heresy of Witchcraft

ABSTRACT

This project examines death as a

transformative force in witchcraft and pagan

traditions, where it is embraced rather than

feared. Ciara highlights women's roles as life-

bringers and wisdom-keepers within covens,

addressing the historical suppression of

women labelled as "witches." Through her

ambiguous and paradoxical art, she

questions historical narratives and memory,

inviting viewers to confront stigmas around

death and femininity while celebrating the

enduring legacies of those obscured by

history.

Ciara Reilly

This current project delves into death’s omnipresent yet invisible force, presenting it as both

everlasting and burdensome. In my exploration, I am personifying death not as a finality but as

an enduring and intrinsic part of existence, especially within the realms of witchcraft, paganism,

and other earth-centred spiritual practices. Here, death is not an end but a transformation,

woven into the fabric of life—a concept that is embraced rather than feared within these

communities. Through my art, I am highlighting how death, viewed in witchcraft and pagan

traditions, transcends the mortal fear of the unknown and becomes a natural return to the

earth, honouring the cycles of birth, life, and decay.

In my work, I am placing particular focus on the communal aspects of these practices, notably

the solidarity formed in covens—a gathering of women bound by shared reverence for nature’s

cycles and collective empowerment. Within these circles, death is approached not as a

malevolent force, but as a reality that is both tender and complex, reflecting women’s roles as

both life-bringers and wisdom-keepers. Witchcraft historically symbolizes autonomy and

knowledge, where death is seen as another facet of life to be revered. By celebrating this view,

My art seeks to challenge societal stigmas that have cast death and those who understood its

nature—particularly women—as something to be feared, dismissed, or condemned.

This perspective leads me to examine how the concept of death has long been intertwined with

the suppression of women labelled as "witches." Throughout history, these women were often

accused of witchcraft simply for occupying roles that disrupted the patriarchal order—acting as

healers, midwives, or women of knowledge in communities. The accusations often led to their

violent erasure from history, reducing their identities to mere symbols of villainy and fear. I

explore the insidious, invisible ‘death’ forced upon them—the erasure of their stories, identities,

and lived experiences, cast aside as dangerous or unworthy of remembrance.

To embody this complex interplay of presence and absence, I envision a painting that is itself

ambiguous in its reality—existing in a state of visual paradox. She asks: if a painting is

photographed, but no one sees it, does it truly exist? This question mirrors historical narratives

of supposed “witchcraft”—if no one witnessed it, did it ever happen, or was it a projection of

societal fears and biases that led to the deliberate erasure of these women’s stories?

In a visual sense, my work plays with themes of absence and memory, questioning historical

narratives by using techniques that blur the boundaries between seen and unseen,

remembered and forgotten. Through layered textures, partial transparency, and shadowed

figures, I intend to invoke the lost histories of these women, the intangible yet enduring

presence of death, and the collective memory that both remembers and forgets. Ultimately, my

art aims to confront the malevolent forces that erase and vilify the unknown and the feminine,

inviting viewers to consider the silent resilience of those who have been obscured yet continue

to exist through the legacies they left behind.

Keening women were seen as respected members of society who would help people cry and

wail, these women were respected but as we know now, they are the inspiration for the

banshee, which we know is a malevolent fearsome spirit. These women represented the

spiritual healing for women, where priests, who were all men, women couldn’t find the samesolidarity. These women represented the matriarchal caregiving that women could offer, which

then become something to be feared in the banshee.

This piece, created digitally, is a digital painting of a female form holding a snake wrapped

around her body and a candle in her right hand. The piece is created with warm tones and a fiery

scene is seen in the background of the image. The piece is laced with texture and brush strokes

while keeping the softness of the skin on the figure. The candle is alight with a flame blowing fire

in the wind, blending into the background of the piece. The light of the cackled is reflected on

the both the figure and the snake. There is a mix of tones in the skin, ranging from cool to warm

tones, which can be seen bevause the figure is naked. The figure is holding the snake closely,

unafraid of the presence of danger.The artwork is titled “Genesis 3:1-6” a significant passage from the bible which many see as

the beginning of the downfall of humanity, as sin was introduced to the world. Eve is

depicted holding the serpent, which would deceive her into eating from the garden which god

had forsaken, This, with this context, I invite the viewer to question the interpretation of Eve

as the villain in this story. While it is largely considered Eve’s fault for the downfall of man, I

ask whether Eve had a choice in the first place. Furthermore, the fiery background of the

image can be interpreted as the world falling to the devil, lit by the fire of Eve’s own hand.

The artwork existing digitally also invites the question of whether it is orginal. The process of

getting the artwork printed on a piece of paper may result in the printed copy of the painting

becoming the original. I too ask if the painting was again altered digitally, would it be the

same painting. This thought process paralleled that or religion, did it happen or is it

something that we have instilled a perceived purpose into. While the goal of my work is not

to challenge religion, it is to challenge our perception of the stories told to us as they can

change and warp over time.

This next piece titled “Whom Nothing Mortal Looking On Can Live” reimagine Medusa not as a

monster, but a victim, suspended in a moment of quiet sorrow and transformation. By blending

classical mythology with the aesthetics of romantic tragedy, the work challenges viewers to

reconsider narratives of power, suffering, and the reclamation of agency. The piece was again

created digitally showcases a naked woman, reaching down into water with an outstretched

hand. There is 2 snakes visible in the water, her face is pained and there is blood dripping

from between her legs. The colour palette uses natural, earthy tones, generally using cool

tones in the background and warm tones on the figure. Flowers and water lilies appear on the

surface of the water. Brush strokes are clearly visible in the foliage emulating that of oil

painting or acrylic, while keeping the softness of the digital medium in the figures skin.

The title, drawn from a Greek poem, hints at the figure’s identity as Medusa, inviting a

reimagining of her story beyond the monster she is often reduced to. Her assault by Perseus,

which led to Athena’s curse, is rarely acknowledged in her depictions. This painting captures

a raw, seldom-seen moment—Medusa reaching toward the snakes in the water, possibly

symbolizing her transformation or her bond with her Gorgon sisters. Difficult yet necessary

to confront, it reflects the enduring reality of women being punished for their own suffering.

Though a myth, Medusa’s story resonates with modern women, challenging the viewer to

reconsider the blurred line between villain and victim

“Sage Song” is a digital artwork showing a figure wearing a long dress robe, her sleeves are long

and hanging low from her arms and her flowing curly red hair drapes behind her. There is a firey

landscape behind the figure, showing a swirling mix of yellows and greens. The dress robe is a

muted orange with gold detailing and a yellow undergarment is worn underneath. The figure has

a melancholy expression, hinting at a feeling of disillusionment. The title “sage song” suggests a

correlation to the Song of the Sages, one of the many Dead Sea scrolls, a collection of Jewish

manuscripts. In these texts Lilith is associated amongst demons that God protects against,

going as far as to say that if a child is born with signs of wings, then Lilith was involved in the

creations. This message is further amplified in the Christian bible where Lilith was expelled from

Eden as she refused to be subject to the whims of Adam and God.

This context allows the viewer to have a new understanding of the piece and a different lens to

view it from. The fiery background symbolising Eden, the fall of which some say came from

Lilith’s “replacement” Eve, and the figure, representing Lilith looking back as she is expelled

from paradise by God.