ABOUT THE ARTIST


Up to my waist in water at the Botanic Gardens! Glazing with Emerson Ryan Installing a piece at the Botanics, back in the water again!



            (Current Projects, Stockists etc.)

ARTIST STATEMENT:

'The energy and gusto of Michelle's approach to her art is palpable...any space would be enhanced by her ceramics,
which have been moulded and plied by Michelle's distinctive talent and energy."  

Marie Devine, "Dynamic Ceramic" The Irish Garden Magazine, March 2006.

I am an award-winning Ceramic Artist originally from Co. Tipperary who lives and works in Castleknock, Dublin.  I graduated from N.U.I. Maynooth in 1996 with a Masters Degree, having studied English and History.

In 2003 I embarked on a dramatic change of career into the visual arts having worked as Director for a multi-national retailer for a number of years.  I had always had a keen interest in ceramics and so I made the decision to re-train as a Ceramic Artist.  My work is informed and inspired by plant and botanical forms, in particular that part of our environment that is hidden from view or perhaps ignored.  
For instance through the lens of a microscope exists a universe of life and beauty that is not visible to the human eye and as such remains unknown to many.  In addition all around us organisms are living, dying, reproducing and adapting at an incredible rate.  I seek to illuminate this world in my work and to take a snapshot of a moment in a plants life and make it assessable to all.  In exploring these concepts - clay with its amazing vigour, vitality and fluidity gives me the freedom to create wonderful textures, colours and forms.   I am especially inspired when working on large site-specific outdoor projects and I often incorporate water as part of my design. 

SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT:

For the last seven years the highly acclaimed Sculpture in Context exhibition at The National Botanic Gardens has given me an opportunity to express these concepts in clay.  This event over a twenty-five year history has established itself as the largest outdoor sculpture exhibition in Ireland. 

From The Age of Christ (2004) to The Titan Arum: Behind every great man... (2005) and from Pollen Hotspot (2006) to Puffballs: From the inside out (2007) and from The Dahlia: Loud and Proud (2008) to Whatever floats your boat... (2009) and now in 2010 Fusion - each sculpture allows me to explore these ideas further in a large outdoor setting.  From man's decline towards old age being mirrored in the natural world in Kinsella's immortal words; to a magnificent plants struggle to reproduce; from the infinitesimal pollen grains all around us; to the humble fungus that bursts open so that it might live on and from the Dahlia flower so ostentatious to Coccolithophore's so abundant at times visible from space - each one is a testament to natures incredible diversity.  It is my hope to continue to capture this diversity in my work and to celebrate the natural world in all its forms.  

In 2004 I was awarded a Sculpture in Context Award for a work of distinction for  - The Age of Christ.  In 2008, my piece Pollen Hotpot won a Public Award for the sculpture most popular with visitors at Outside: Insight, Sculpture in the Gardens at Brigit's Garden, Co. Galway.  (See below for details on both awards).

COMMISSIONS/CURRENT PROJECTS etc:

I am exhibiting at a number of sculpture shows and exhibitions in summer/autumn 2010. In locations such as The Millcove Gallery, Cork (April-Sept.); Bloom in The Phoenix Park (3rd-7th June); Sculpture in Context at The National Botanic Gardens (2nd Sept. - 15th Oct.); Outside: Insight at Brigit's Garden in Co. Galway (July-Sept) and Ceramic Ireland Exhibition (5th June - 11th July) in Rathfarnham Castle Arts, Dublin.  For details all exhibitions please see Gallery page.

I have undertaken a number of Public Commissions in recent years.  In 2006, I was commissioned for a collaborative public art project by St. Patrick's National School, Diswellstown to commemorate the opening of their new school.  The piece was entitled When the hand was lifted from the clay...  The project comprised of the hand prints in clay of almost 450 participants and was installed in the foyer of the new school building.  

In 2009, I was working on a large-scale Public Art Project at St. Peter's National School, Phibsboro, Dublin.  In 2010, I will also be working on a collaborative School Art Project in St. Patrick's National School, Diswellstown with the Fourth Class students.  We are creating two ceramic spherical water features for the new school garden (2.5m high) and footprints in clay.

I also teach weekly classes and weekend workshops from my studio in Castleknock, as well as one-off workshops to both private and corporate clients.   

I have made a number of TV appearances in the last few years on Irish television stations, to get the link to view the shows see below.

STOCKISTS:

My work is available from The Kilkenny Shop; The Craft Granary, Cahir, Co. Tipperary and from select exhibitions throughout the year in locations such as Ardgillan Castle, The National Botanic Gardens, Bloom in The Phoenix Park, Brigit's Gardens in Galway, Rathfarnham Castle, The Millcove Gallery and Castle Yard, Kilkenny (click here to see forthcoming/current exhibitions).  My work is held in public collections in Ireland and private collections in Ireland, Europe and the United States.

  

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SELECT EXHIBITIONS: (For further details on individual exhibitions please click on link or see Exhibitions/Gallery page)

2010  


2009
  2008

2007

2006

2005

2004
Photo by Dylan Vaughan The Irish Times 10 August 2009.


AWARDS:

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Dr. Mark Hamilton, Gemma McGovern (participant) and myself, during the filming of How long will you live?  Sept. 2008.  See video clip below.

TV APPEARANCES:

If you missed my TV appearance on How long will you live? in 2009 on RTE 1 it is available to play in the video clip below.
To see my appearance in 2008 on the RTE show Written Off, please use this link http://www.rte.ie/tv/writtenoff/watch.html.  To view just click on Series 1 Programme 1, my segment starts 15:35 minutes in.
Click on video below see my appearance in 2007 on the Ireland AM show on TV3.


PRESS/RADIO/TV: (Select articles below available as PDF files, just click on title to view.)

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SOCIETIES:
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PUBLICATIONS: 

(Select articles I have written are available as PDF files, just click on title to view.  All articles are re-produced with the permission of the publication editors.)
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ADDITIONAL:
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At work in my studio.