Karen O’Kane is a textile artist, hand painting the silk with a cold resist technique and steaming it for colour fastness. Karen’s designs are bold and vibrant and are inspired by her love of her natural environment, the unpredictability and texture of the medium and previous experience of glass art.

Karen produces a range of pure silk originals and also prints her silk paintings onto bamboo material using eco dyes at a specialised printers in County Donegal, Ireland.

Her collections include evening bags and scarves, silk accessories and jewellery, homeware and giftware. She is particularly interested in designing beautiful and functional lighting from lampshades to floor lights.

After studying psychology at Edinburgh University, Karen used these crafts in her work before settling in Ramelton, Co Donegal and establishing kokodesigns studio in 2010.

Karen comes from the Potteries in England where her grandmother, a skilled artist, introduced her to a wide variety of crafts which she still uses including embroidery and sewing.

Karen offers a bespoke interior design service for lighting and soft furnishings. As well as running workshops in her studio, she will also facilitate workshops in the community.

She is on the Education panel for the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland. She was previously a director of Number 19 Craft and Design CIC in Derry, Northern Ireland and is a member of the Donegal Designer Makers.

kokodesigns studioKaren O'Kanethe studiopainting