Lorna Dillon is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Ulster University. Her research focus is Latin American art and she is particularly interested in textile art. Her current Leverhulme project ‘The Symbolic in Processes of Transitional Justice: Textile Art in Latin America’ explores the work of textile artists and art collectives in Latin America that use embroideries, quilts and arpilleras (applique art) to mobilize against injustices and human rights abuses.

Lorna is working with artists, academics and textile art groups from Chile, Colombia and Mexico to explore the way they use needlework, exhibitions and the internet to unify communities and communicate about issues that are important to them.  

Lorna’s doctoral research was on the embroideries, papier-mache sculptures and oil paintings created by the Chilean artist Violeta Parra and this led to two books: Violeta Parra: Life and Work (2017) and Violeta Parra’s Visual Art: Painted Songs (2020). Lorna has also published journal articles and book chapters on Violeta Parra’s art.

Lorna's wider interests include surrealism; 1960s art; Chilean art; Pop Art and the iconography of human rights. She is affiliated to the Belfast School of Art research unit and welcomes inquiries from potential PhD students with research interests relevant to her interests. 

2019 – 2023 Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship

2020 -2021 Henry Moore Foundation Research Grant ‘Britain Chile Solidarity’

2017  Consejo de la Cultura y los Artes (Chilean government), travel award 

2017  Institute of Fine Arts, University of New York, travel award 

2017  Higher Education Funding Council for England event funding via the Culture Capital Exchange    

2006 - 2009  AHRC Doctoral Award for the research project ‘Violeta Parra’s Visual Art’