aideen macken
Is ealaíontóir, fíodóir agus múinteoir í Aideen Macken atá lonnaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus thosaigh sí ar an fhíodóireacht trí cheird mhachnamhach oidhreachta na fíodóireachta creasa. Thosaigh a haistear le splanc iomais — radharc de chrios traidisiúnta fite — rud a threoraigh í chuig Liberties Weavers, áit a bhfuair sí meantóireacht ón gceardaí Sualannach Marja Almqvist. Faoi threoir mothúcháin go raibh a lámha “ag cuimhneamh ar rud éigin,” thit Aideen i ngrá go tapa leis an chleachtas atá fréamhaithe go domhain i stair chultúrtha na hÉireann.
Caitheadh an crios ar fud na hÉireann tráth, agus níl ach dornán beag fíodóirí á chaomhnú inniu. Tá níos mó ná crios amháin i gceist leis i dtuairim Aideen — is soitheach cuimhne, brí agus frithsheasmhachta é. Ag obair óna baile féin, fíodóireann sí criosanna agus píosaí eile le hinspioráid ón chrios. Tá rún agus cúram ina cuid oibre — snáitheanna ó mhuintir agus ó chairde, macallaí tírdhreacha, nó teachtaireachtaí siombalacha do gharspriocanna amhail breitheanna, bainiseacha agus aistrithe pearsanta.
Taobh amuigh den fhíodóireacht, múineann Aideen Pilates, ag treorú daoine go séimh ar ais isteach ina gcorp féin. Baineann an dá chleachtas seo le fealsúnacht iomlánaíoch: daoine a fhréamhú trí análú, gluaiseacht agus áilleacht inláimhsithe. Ní hobair aonarach í a cuid oibre — tá sí fite fuaite i gciorcal níos leithne ealaíontóirí agus cairde, ag tabhairt ómóis don traidisiún, don iomas agus do chumhacht na mban ag obair le chéile.
Aideen Macken is a Dublin-based artist, weaver and teacher who came to weaving through the meditative, ancestral craft of crios weaving. Her journey began with a flash of intuition—a glimpse of a traditional woven belt (crios) —and led her to the Liberties Weavers, where she was mentored by Swedish craftswoman Marja Almqvist. Guided by a feeling that her hands were “remembering something,” Aideen quickly fell in love with the practice which is deeply rooted in Ireland’s cultural history.
The crios, once worn across Ireland and now preserved by only a handful of weavers, has become more than a belt in Aideen’s hands—it’s a vessel of memory, meaning, and resistance. Working from her home, she hand-weaves crios belts and other pieces inspired by the crios. Her work carries intention—woven with yarn from loved ones, echoes of landscapes, or symbolic messages for milestones like births, weddings, and personal transitions.
Beyond weaving, Aideen teaches Pilates, gently guiding others back into their bodies. Her parallel practices speak to a holistic philosophy: grounding people through breath, movement, and tactile beauty. Her work is not solitary—it’s woven into a wider circle of artists and friends, honouring tradition, intuition, and the power of women working together.