In Conversation with Alison P. O’Reilly
Artist and Sustainability Thought Leader
How can we as designers build our awareness around social responsibility and how critical/inherent it is to responsible specification?
Designers often have more influence than they realise, especially at the point of specification. Choosing materials and objects with social and environmental integrity can directly shape economies and communities. And in many cases, making with integrity naturally results in more beautiful products. Social responsibility isn’t an add-on- it’s intrinsic to good design, inside and out.
Our rugs, like art, are the result of many hours of craft and their handmade quality is what makes them incredibly special. From your viewpoint as a thought leader in sustainability, how do you evaluate handmade products?
I really connect with how you describe your rugs- the emphasis on time, skill, and the value of the handmade. In my painting practice, things take time, and there’s a kind of integrity that builds through that process.
Handmade products are often naturally aligned with sustainability principles: they typically use local materials, preserve traditional techniques, or involve processes that generate less waste. The care and craftsmanship involved also promote durability, reducing the need for replacement. And by supporting artisans and local economies, handmade objects foster more sustainable systems- socially, environmentally, and economically.
It starts with asking better questions: Who made this? Under what conditions? What does this support or displace in the world? The answers may be complex, but asking them opens a dialogue- and that’s where more thoughtful, responsible decision-making begins.
Do you agree that despite the wealth of online resources there is a growing desire amongst the design community to experience art and product in person?
Absolutely. The digital world gives us access, but not intimacy. There’s something essential about standing in front of an artwork or feeling the texture of a handcrafted object- the scale, the surface, the subtle imperfections. We’re all craving that kind of physical and sensory engagement, especially in response to so much screen-based interaction.
”Spaces like showrooms and galleries offer an absolutely essential opportunity to slow down and connect with an object’s materiality. When a designer can experience a rug or painting up close, feel its presence, appreciate its surface, and understand its story, it creates a far more meaningful and impactful relationship between the object and its viewer.”
Your work as an artist has evolved from your career in design and specifically sustainability. How does your background influence your approach to your work?
The path of an artist is rarely a straight line- it often meanders, but those detours ultimately shape the work in unexpected ways. My background in design and sustainability has deeply influenced how I approach painting- from the materials I choose to how I think about intention, impact, and longevity. In design, I was always drawn to the systems behind things: how they’re made, where they come from, and the impact they have on people and the planet. That mindset continues to inform my practice today. In painting, my process is a balance between intuition and planning, where I carefully consider structure, balance, and the work’s overall impact — not just visually, but culturally and materially.
Plans to Paintings is on show in our studio June 5th in celebration of London Gallery Weekend
