An exhibition that celebrates the work of graduating makers and embraces them as part of the community of Irish craft and design. Featuring selected works from graduating makers from MTU Crawford College of Art & Design, Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa (Furniture Design), St. John’s Central College (Jewellery Making), West Cork Campus Skibbereen subsidiary of the Cork College of Commerce, and Kinsale College.

The work produced by these talented emerging designers marks the beginning of an exciting career in craft and design.

Curated by Sarah Buckley.

About the Artists

Andrii Bychek

Coming from Ukraine, Andrii has been living in Ireland for the last three years. He graduated from Cork College FET Tramore Road Campus in Furniture Design and Making finally realising a childhood dream of becoming a furniture maker. Compromised of dark walnut and light ash, The Bull Chair combines beauty, convivence and functionality. The antlers help give the arms support, the side shapes of the frame resemble the figure of an animal and the back resembles the head of a bull.

Carmel O'Keeffe

Carmel has always been happiest when she has been in, on, under or beside the sea, whether swimming, sailing, or walking on the beach and it is an endless source of inspiration in her work. Many years ago she did an evening course in art which led her pursue it full time and complete Art 1 in Cork College of FET, Tramore Rd Campus. There she had the opportunity to explore different medium and particularly enjoyed ceramics. In the ‘Cliff and Rockpool’ triptych, she explores texture, colour and shape which are inspired by rocks, cliffs and rock pools and the power of the sea to mould these shapes. Contact: Instagram  @ca_okeeffe_art

Caroline Heskin

Caroline’s sculptures represent the female figures we see at the beach. We often strike the same poses, we are too apprehensive of the cold water and lie languidly in the summer sun. These women are deep in thought, they are self-contained, they are mindful. The beaches of West Cork are central to Caroline’s work. She has spent the last 2 years studying Art in Cork College of FET, Tramore Road Campus. She plans to go on to study Fine Art at the Crawford College of Art and Design this September. Contact: carolineheskin@gmail.com

Christina Loughlin  

Christina’s practice interrogates the persistent effects of intergenerational trauma in Ireland, caused by the twin evils of colonisation and institutional religion. The work strives to convey the resonances between her ancestors physical toil and mental struggle. Working with found and made objects, performance art and film, her work seeks to unveil and release inherited patterns and influences from four, and more, generations ago. Christina grew up in Castleblayney, Monaghan. After a number of years in London, she returned Cork to complete her BA in Contemporary Applied Art in Crawford College of Art and Design. She will now begin her Sculpture MFA on a scholarship in Louisiana State University in the USA.

Contact: Cmloughlin11@gmail.com 

Dawn Buttimer

Dawn’s work is a response to time spent exploring Rineen Woods, Union Hall. It is inspired by themes within nature, the play of light and shadow, layers of interdependence and interconnectedness, organic shapes and the softness of line. The softness of the circular work situated within the rectangular frame acknowledges the often-present tensions between humans and nature. Coming from West Cork, Dawn attributes much of her desire to interpret nature in her art to the environment surrounding her. She successfully completed Level 5 Art and Design course in West Cork Campus Skibbereen and looks forward to the challenge of the level 6 course in Kinsale College in September.

Dee Hurley

Dee’s work is informed by a fascination with botanical elements. Collected and arranged in a way that resonates with her, her aim is to elevate and honour the diversity and beauty of their form and structure. Her work is underscored by the sadness of biodiversity loss, and the hope that an appreciation of its wonder can prompt positive change in our world. Dee has a diverse background in design and the arts. She also completed a course in permaculture in Kinsale College which has strongly influenced her practice. Having just completed a degree in Contemporary Applied Art in MTU Crawford College of Art and Design, she intends to further my studies with a Masters by research on the topic of art and ecology.

Contact: Email: deehurley29@gmail.com, Website: deehurley29.wixsite.com/artist, Instagram: @deehurlee

Holly Halligan

Holly is a sculpture based artist from Cork City. Utilising a phenomenological approach, her work explores the concept of sound. Grounded in a somatic and sensory experience for the viewer, she examines cultures of sound and the sonic realm. Using multidisciplinary modes of making and motivated by materiality, her sculptural practice currently utilises mould making, metal and textiles. She was first inspired to make work about sound following a position in a non profit children's mental health arts organisation in Massachusetts last year. She has recently completed a BA in Fine Art in Crawford College of Art and Design. Contact: Instagram- @hollyhalliganart Email - halligan.holly555@gmail.com

Kathy Cronin

Kathy Cronin was born and raised in rural Kerry before graduating from the MTU Crawford College of Art and Design with a first class honours in Fine Art. Her practice investigates human displacement through the curatorial phrasing of acrylic paintings as dwellings. Where ten compositionally interconnected figure paintings once stood together to convey a homestead through the installation piece Dwelling Place, they have since become fractured. Now, each piece is exhibited as a standalone work, rupturing the unity and further echoing themes of diaspora by manifesting the works in unfamiliar territories where they seek reunification amidst exodus. Historically used in transporting goods but also prominent within construction, the hessian material plays a vital role in simultaneously addressing the parallel concerns of displacement and the domestic space.

Contact: Email: croninkathyeli@gmail.com, Instagram: @kathyc_art

Kay Roche

Kay Roche is a textile and a multi disciplinary artist living in Kilkenny. Her work is inspired by the surrounding landscapes, wild hedgerows, the sea and personal emotional experiences. She was born in Wexford and has crafted from an early age. In Summer Memories she tries to capture the little cove where she spent summer evenings and Sunday afternoons. Glimpses of the past come to mind when we dwell on our childhood, of precious times spent with family and forgotten memories that are triggered by a photo or dwelling on times long gone. Kay recently completed the Special Purpose Award in Art Textile at MTU Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork.

Kinga Raro

Nature is Kinga’s main source of inspiration. Creating sculptures brings her joy and she wishes to add some happiness into life to counterbalance the daily tension and worry of everyday life. Kinga’s artistic journey mostly revolves around creating vibrant sculptures which tell stories through the use of diverse materials and infusing them with vibrant colours. She has a particular love for incorporating paper flowers into her pieces, blending the delicate beauty of nature with the boldness of contemporary sculpture. Her creations are a celebration of colour and form, meant to inspire amazement and happiness in the viewer. Kinga studied art in Cork FET Douglas St Campus.

Laurie Manning

Laurie’s work was inspired by her grandmother's emigration to Canada in the 1950s. In her research, she read about the unpleasant attitudes towards young women emigrating from Ireland. The rhetoric around these women’s emigration portrayed them as weak, materialistic and had low morals. Their male counterparts were regarded as stoic and hard-working. ‘The Best Are Leaving’ uses a photograph of her grandmother in Canada, the female figure stands out in bright pink to represent female Irish emigrants as strong, resilient and vibrant women. Laurie is an emerging textile artist based in Cork City. She completed a Special Purpose Award in Textiles at Crawford College of Art Design, MTU and is going into the  BA in Contemporary Applied Art course in September. 

Leslie Allen Spillane 

Leslie’s work explores the potential and failure of photography to capture inner emotional states and the body’s relationship with the natural world. Currently working with the Motherwort plant to symbolise ideas of illness, healing, grief and intimacy, she is investigating how to portray the emotional, mental and physical states of another person. The resulting pictures are a collaboration between the photographer, subject, and the plant material that allows the imagery to grow and develop. Leslie is a recent graduate of Fine Art in MTU Crawford College of Art and Design. She has previously completed degrees in English Literature and Art History in UCC. She works primarily in lens-based media using a variety of alternative photographic techniques and printmaking. 

Maisy Morgan Sutton

Maisy Morgan Sutton is a visual art jeweller based in Cork City. Working mainly with sterling silver and copper, her sculptural pieces are made for the contemporary person. Maisy's work focuses on using traditional methods with a nod to Irish heritage. Focusing on using scale and negative space, these pieces are visually arresting and encapsulate elements of our metalcraft in Ireland. Her process is made visible through remaining solder and deliberate marks. Maisy has just graduated from Douglas Street Campus in Cork City studying jewellery making and metalcraft. Over the last 2 years she has explored various metalcraft techniques with a heavy emphasis on traditional silversmithing methods.

Marta Oliiar

“Art has always been my sanctuary, a realm where I can channel the tumultuous emotions that stem from my experiences as a girl from Ukraine. In a world often marked by conflict and uncertainty, my art emerges as both a fight against the darkness of depression and a response to the events that shape our lives. Each piece is a testament to my resilience and an exploration of the delicate balance between despair and hope. Art allows me to transform my pain into something.” Originally from the Ukraine, Marta moved to Ireland two years ago. She has just completed the Art Course in Kinsale College.

Contact: Phone number: +353852881524, email: martaoliiar@gmail.com

Mollie Keech Banks

Mollie’s work is based on the home setting, focusing on the past. Mushrooms and moss signify decay and regrowth which she combines with typical household objects to create a surreal representation of the home environment. She hopes to portray a reminisce of the places we leave behind as we move through different stages of life. She also uses personal elements in her work such as furniture from her childhood home and broken ceramic fragments she collected as a child. Mollie is ceramic artist from Kilkenny who has just completed a BA in Contemporary Applied Art in Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork City, where I specialized in ceramics and textiles.

Niamh O’Sullivan

“Art has unlocked mindfulness and creativity I never knew existed in me. I am more aware of my environment and the people that surround me.” Following a car crash in July 2023, Niamh took a career break for medical reasons. A poster advertising Kinsale college in the same place the crash occurred inspired her to apply for the art course which she has just completed. Niamh thoroughly enjoyed the course, finding creativity has opened her up, helped her meet new people and engage with inspirational teachers. She is looking forward to going on to Level 6 in the autumn. 

Nikoletta Kmieciak

Nikoletta’s figurative work is explore style and form in sculpture. Focusing on making work that is aesthetically pleasing and interesting, these two pieces come from projects on identity and exploring the Irish coastline. She was always very artistic as a child and with the support and encouragement of family, friends and inspiration teachers, she has just completed the Art, Craft and Design course in Cork FET Douglas Street Campus. She is enjoying exploring different medium and techniques to find her identity as an emerging artist.

Olwyn McGrath

“I have always been particularly drawn to portraiture and human emotion. My work focuses on capturing and portraying the sensitive, raw, and often concealed emotions that people experience. I believe that these vulnerable aspects of ourselves should not be hidden but rather embraced and expressed.” Growing up in Ballydehob, Olwyn was always surrounded by art, inspired by her mother also an artist. For the last year she has been learning new techniques and materials in the Level 5 Art and Design course in Kinsale College. There she discovered her love of ceramics.

Contact: Phone 0871853053, olwynsaoirse13@gmail.com

Patsy Atkinson

A deep connection with nature sits at the heart of Patsy’s work. There are miracles of nature all around us and she aspires to capture some of that beauty and fragility in a sensitive way. Using the imagery and symbolism of the Honeysuckle plant, which is often associated in literature and folklore as a symbol of entwined or binding love, ‘Ethereal’ reflects the fragility of life and the threads and ties that bind us to one another. Patsy has recently completed a Special Purpose Award in Art Textile at MTU Crawford College of Art and Design. She plans to join the Masters by Research programme to develop her interest in art textiles further. Instagram: @patsyatkinson

Roisin Maher

Roisin’s work has been inspired by how trauma reshapes the Self. She is a Kilkenny-born and Cork-whittled maker, recently graduated from Crawford CAD. Having pursued animation, design and fine art primarily, she took the plunge into craft on a whim in 2020, and was quickly enchanted with the meticulous processes of textile and glass. Between illnesses in her family and her own struggle later in life with anxiety and panic, she always been acutely aware of the exaltations and limits of the human body. Using these materials, she seeks to illustrate the conversation between the mental and physical, the spiritual and apparent, the objective and the experienced.

Contact: Instagram: roisin.bizarre Email: godsinthewoods@gmail.com

Sarah O’Connell

Sarah’s work explores the delicate balance between form and function, blending visual appeal with practicality. This design is meticulously crafted to achieve harmony between her favourite materials of wood and stone ensuring the design not only looks captivating but is also well-engineered and functional. Plywood is chosen for its strength, versatility and potential for creative designs. The herringbone design was inspired by the gables and spars of bridges with walnut strips. Sarah, from Crosshaven, Cork, grew up in an artistic and creative family. She studied Art in Limerick College of Art and Design and while she never stopped creating, she didn’t pursue a career in the arts area. Last year she returned to study Furniture Design and Making in Tramore Rd campus. 

Contact: 086 605 8835 sarahsean75@gmail.com

Szymon Niziolek

Szymon’s goal with his work is to preserve the art of handmade jewellery and chain making. Respecting the craftsmanship of goldsmiths from eastern Slavic countries keeping the tradition of handmade chain making alive, he finds the making process therapeutic and trance-like.  Nowadays, with the rise of automation it's hard to come by unique and intricate chain patterns. His passion for metalworking began in secondary school and he went on to complete Level 6 Jewellery and Art Metalcraft in Cork ETF Douglas Street Campus. Szymon aims to begin working in gold in the near future.

Contact: 085 128 2675 Instagram: @Necro_silversmith