Designer and artist Ciaran Sweeney on Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev

HAVE always admired people who dare to be different in their chosen artistic field.

Because of that and for as long as I can remember, I was fascinated by Rudolf Nureyev, the Russian ballet dancer. I can remember seeing him on TV for the first time and being awestruck by his presence. Not only was he visually amazing with his taut, graceful body and his chiselled, rippling muscles, he also defied convention in his defection from the Soviet Union. As a dancer he had a very distinctive style and an amazing ability.

I myself had a colourful childhood in that I moved house a number of times. I was born in Drogheda but grew up in west Cork, Sligo and Donegal. My father was a writer . . . an Irish language poet . . . and my mother a remedial teacher. I was a middle child of seven children. There's a theory that middle children suffer from attention deficit syndrome so perhaps that's why I became an artist . . . because I was looking for attention.

I think moving so many times taught me at an early age that people are all the same; to a large extent there's a pattern to existence. I suppose that may have influenced my leaning towards pattern and textiles, which I specialised in while at the National College of Art and Design.

In 1989, I did a degree there in education. Afterwards, I taught for a few years before taking up textile design fulltime. While at college I used to make scarves and silk shirts for an avant-garde shop on Dawson Street called Camouflage. Later I took up fashion design because as a printer I'd always end up with reams of fabric and I used to think I hadn't really finished the piece until it had been made into a garment.

I still teach from time to time. I recently returned from a trip to Russia where I taught art in an orphanage for eight days on behalf of the Irish charity To Russia with Love. It was very cold, -35 degrees, but the children were lovely. I found most of them to be very happy and it was a rewarding experience. It was great to visit the country that my hero came from . . . it brought back to me the fascination I had with him as a young man.

This year, I'm planning to export some of my clothes to a shop called James's in Moscow. Many of them are made from hand-printed, embellished velvet, which I think appeals to the Russian sense of style.

As an artist, it's important to continuously stimulate yourself visually.

For this reason, I love to travel and of course to see other people's work. I've just returned from Madrid where I was exhibiting alongside 20 other international designers. The show was called Men in Skirts and was organised Ifor Madrid International Fashion week.

Its aim was to challenge the traditional idea of the skirt as a feminine piece of clothing. It was a real privilege to be asked to participate alongside such noted designers as Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier. All of whom I admire greatly and could also be classed as heroes.

To get back to the Nureyev influence, I have always been a fan of the theatre and I suppose that's reflected in my designs, which often feature rich, heavy fabrics, intricate pattern and colour. I like working with singers, actors and theatre people.

And I would like to be involved in a theatre production at some stage in my life. I'm not sure in what capacity however, maybe set design, costume or perhaps as an actor.

Although Nureyev will always be my number one hero, Madonna also features heavily. I've always admired her for a number of reasons. If you put her musical ability and singing aside, you see can see how she's worked the international media.

She managed to change her appearance so many times and each time she looks completely different. I admire her from an aesthetic and professional point of view.

I was lucky enough to see her when she played at Slane Castle last year. I think her show would have been better suited to a stadium but it was a novelty to see someone I have admired for years and I arranged for some of my finished pieces to be given to her. I never heard anything back but it's great to think that Madonna has my clothes in her wardrobe and for all I know she's wearing them. If Nureyev were alive today I'd probably send him some.