I Am Bird is a photographic installation by myself – Avia Gurman Murphy
at the Aistear Maze, Mountshannon Arts Festival
June Bank Holiday Weekend 2026

This is a work of transformation, vulnerability, and becoming—I Am Bird invites you into a space where the body listens, remembers, and shifts between human and more-than-human states. Through intimate portraiture and evocative imagery, the work traces journeys of release, grief, connection, and flight.

Installed within the Aistear Maze, the work unfolds through large-scale fabric prints and small cyanotype prints, suspended in the open air and exposed to the elements—echoing the presence of prayer flags. The installation shifts with light, wind, and weather, becoming a living, breathing environment.

Rooted in collaboration and lived experience with members of the East Clare community, this installation holds space for what is often unspoken—where fragility meets strength, and where new forms can emerge.

Supported by the Creative Bursary Award, Clare County Council.

Come walk the maze.
Come witness.
Come feel and listen.