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Paula moen
My name is Paula Moen. I live in Ringsend and as far back as I can remember I have always loved the idea of ​​vintage – trendy home furnishings. It is durable and often unique.
I like the idea that there is a story behind every vintage piece, where does it come from? Who did it belong to? What’s the comeback story?
I started collecting plaques about two years ago. Saw a tea set at one of the local charity shops in Ringsend. I absolutely loved the pattern, it was obviously old with these amazing weird anomalies and I remember thinking I could do something really cool with these plaques. The idea was firmly planted and I began to experiment with every free time I had. I had a few commissions to do portraits and …
Then Covid arrived …
My composition projects have declined considerably.
I had a lot of beautiful saucers that were too small for portraits etc. So I decided to use text (using free fonts) and incorporate current phrases like “Wash your hands”, “Stay safe”, “Wear a mask”, etc. I posted them on Instagram and the response has been amazing. I like the idea of ​​using something old to mix with something new.
I then created my online store, and since then it has been working very well.
I get all the plates from charity shops (NCBI and Oxfam in Ringsend in particular) and have enlisted the help of friends in different areas to collect coins for me. Each plate represents a nostalgic imprint of time – incorporating the past into the present. Who remembers the “right†room and using the “right†cups and saucers when visitors called home?
These plates were once part of someone’s story… a wedding present, a birthday present, a new home, a new family, the start of a new chapter in their life. I recycle these beautiful pieces by celebrating and remembering the times we live in… by mixing the old and the new.
From current Covid19 phrases to cooking themes, poems and quotes, personal anecdotes, humorous… the list is endless. The material is there… around us, in the news, in the conversation. I am constantly looking and listening!
When I design a plate, I add it to my online store and also post it on Instagram with a story or just information about the plate. This is where I mainly advertise the plates.
I used a quote from President Michael D Higgins on a plate and it quickly became a bestseller.
The quote is:
“As long as you breathe, stay curious and keep going.”
I decided to send him one for his 80th birthday and received a very kind thank you letter from him!
I have also worked with a few local businesses. You can see some of my plates at the Vintage Inn in Irishtown and most recently with Joe Donnelly at The Fair-Play cafe in Ringsend (see sidebar). On the theme: “Relearning the forgotten language of HOPE”, we had the idea of ​​creating a wall of plates, each displaying a message of Hope.
Message from Joe Donnelly, Fair-Play Café:
“Throughout Irish history our ancestors had to deal with many seismic and unpredictable changes, especially through the trauma of wars, invasions, hunger, oppression, injustice, disease and emigration. In the face of these overwhelming challenges, we have had to develop a patient and resilient story of hope. At the same time as this story, we had to develop a language of hope that was woven around the major themes of our common human experience; an example of such themes would be that good would eventually conquer evil… darkness would not overwhelm the light, and we would certainly see better days. Our recent experience with the coronavirus in Ireland has reminded us of the importance of relearning the often forgotten language of hope. “
“Relearning the Forgotten Language of HOPE†is on display in the Fair-Play Café and must be a permanent feature.
For more information on Paula’s plates, visit:
Instagram @paulafmoen
Online store: www.paulafmoen.bigcartel.com
Website www.paulafmoen.com
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