Ally Nolan is an Irish textile artist whose work brings together traditional craft and contemporary textile processes. Her practice explores how materials carry memory of the people and places where they are made, with a focus on women’s labour and craft knowledge that has often gone unrecorded or undervalued. Drawing on archival research, historical photographs, materials and knowledge shared by communities, she seeks to better understand the lives behind textile traditions.
Nolan is the 2025 recipient of the RCSI Art Award and has undertaken residencies and projects in Portugal, Norway, France, Ireland, Italy and Dubai, tracing connections between craft traditions across cultures. She holds a BA in Fashion Design and Art History from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, and a Master’s degree in Irish Art History from Trinity College Dublin.