about the artist2

2011 Exhibitions / Commissions:

Sculpture in Context 2011 at The National Botanic Gardens Sept./Oct. 2011. More photos coming soon!


Surface Tension at Sculpture in Context 2011. 1.55m H x 1.5m diameter, €6,500.	Inspiration from bubbles.

Contemporary Sculpture in Irish Gardens, Ballintubbert Garden, Athy, Co. Kildare, June - Sept. 2011. This is the inaugural exhibition in this stunning garden, which will host over 100 sculptures.


Fusion in Ballintubbert Gardens.	The Dahlia: Loud & Proud in Ballintubbert Gardens.

I exhibited three sculptures with the Crafts Council of Ireland in The Irish Craft Garden at Bloom 2011, in June in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

"Ceramics will form a central element of The Irish Craft Garden which is being designed by award winning landscape designer Fiann Ó Nualláin – a mosaic pathway meandering through the stunning garden space will grow as the days pass and the daily addition of ceramic sculptures and pots will create focal points. Discover the stunning outdoor craft pieces nestled in the undulations of The Irish Craft Garden that have been created by some of Ireland’s most talented makers." www.ccoi.ie


Puffballs: From the inside out at Bloom 2011.	Fusion at Bloom 2011.

Coccolithophores at Bloom 2011.	My piece Pollen Hotspot featured on TV3's Ireland AM show this week in Fiann Ó Nualláin's garden Treat not Trigger at Bloom 2011.

In 2011 I am working on a collaborative art commission for the children's charity Barnardos. Together we are creating a large scale wall-piece inspired by the Aurora Borealis and the river Tolka.

Through the Crafts Council of Ireland CRAFTed initiative 2010 I worked with a group of children from Scoil Thomáis, Laurel Lodge, Dublin 15, on a collaborative art project which integrates aspect of the primary school SESE curriculum with my own practice. We created a large-scale wall piece which was installed at the schools entrance in spring of this year.


	Scoil Thomais, Dublin 15.

2010 Exhibitions / Commissions:

Fusion at Sculpture in Context 2010 at The National Botanic Garden, Dublin, September/October 2010. Fusion along with Pollen Hotspot was also exhibited at Nexus at The Bluewall Gallery from in November 2010.

About Nexus at the Bluewall Gallery:

"An exhibition of subtle yet powerful contemporary ceramic works by artists Frances Lambe, Andrew Livingstone, Michelle Maher, Isobel Egan, Neil Read and Ross Cochrane.

The works in this show reflect the inner mechanisms of life. They pause on and bring to attention the intrinsic links, complex equations and tensions of push and pull that form the constants within this state of flux. The intimacy of their expression and intricacy of their production render them almost microscopic in context. Yet their attention is to the very details of more universal forces at play - the balance of order and chaos, the weight of history, the fragility of human nature, the potential instability of systems, the prevailing turn of the earth, the struggle for survival, infinity. These works communicate the fine connections that hold us together, the fabric of existence, so familiar and so fundamental as to be almost invisible."

Bluewall Gallery,Corracanvy,Cavan.


Fusion : Price €6,000 (€2,000 each), 2.06m high, 0.45m diameter.		Inspiration from coral and fungi.

Outside: Insight, Sculpture in the Gardens 2010, at Brigit's Garden, Roscahill, Co. Galway. 11th July - 11th Sept 2010.


Coccolithophore at Outside: Insight in Brigit's Garden, Co. Galway. Price: € 5,000.	Inspiration from algae.

Bloom 2010 'Grow it Yourself' Show Garden by Fiann O'Nuallain. This was my fourth year to exhibit at the Bloom Festival, I exhibited a number of spherical sculptures entitled Amelie in Fiann's edible GIY garden. The piece was featured on RTE 1 News on June 5th and in The Sunday Times Magazine on 6th June 2010.


	L'Amelie Plage, France.

	Construction & decoration.

Amelie at Bloom 2010	Dimensions: 50cm Diameter each. Price: €795 each.	Amelie at Bloom 2010

The Millcove Gallery, Outdoor Sculpture Show 2010, Castletownbere, Co. Cork. The show runs from April to Sept 2010.


	The Dahlia: Loud & Proud at The Millcove. Price €4,000.

Ceramic Ireland Exhibition - annual group show, this year supported by the OPW in Rathfarnham Castle Arts, 5th June - 11th July 2010.


Vessel from Red Inside series, price €85.	Vessel from Red Inside series, price €135.

In January 2010, I was commissioned to work on a Collaborative Art Project with St. Patrick’s National School, Dublin 15. Working in collaboration with the three fourth-class groups, we are creating two large-scale spherical water features and the children’s footprints in clay. The theme is based around the ideas of peace and working together as a team, the finished work will be permanently installed in the new school garden.

2009 Exhibitions/Commissions:

Sculpture in Context 2009 at The National Botanic Garden, Dublin, September/October 2009.


Coccolithophores (single-celled algae) were my inspiration for last years sculpture.	Price €5,000. Dimensions 2.5m L x 1m D x 1m H.

Outside: Insight, Sculpture in the Gardens 2009 at Brigit's Garden, Roscahill, Co. Galway. I had two sculptures on exhibit in the gardens last year - Puffballs: From the Inside Out and Different Inside. The shows ran from July-October 2009.


		Puffballs: From the Inside Out, 7 piece sculpture, €3,500 246 cm L x 102cm W x 30cm H.	Different Inside, 3 piece sculpture €2000, 93cm L x 68cm W x 38cm H.

National Craft Gallery Garden at Bloom 2009 in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. In last years show I exhibited two sculptures - The Dahlia: Loud & Proud and Pollen Hotspot . The pieces were later featured in Castle Yard, Kilkenny Castle from August to October.

"Following on the success of the Craft Trail exhibition at Bloom 2008, the Crafts Council of Ireland's National Craft Gallery is planning an exhibition of outdoor work in the grounds of the Phoenix Park for the duration of Bloom 2009 (the show will also be featured in Castle Yard for the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August). Last year’s event brought the work of 20 makers to an audience of over 50, 000 visitors. This year we would like to showcase a small number of high-quality pieces to raise the profile of contemporary Irish craft with the Bloom audience.

The superb work of master craftspeople will be reflected in a series of unique large-scale sculptural pieces by seven selected designer-makers on exhibit at Bloom in a demonstration of how contemporary Irish craft can bring innovative beauty into a garden setting. Visitors can view up close: a stylish and contemporary take on the garden swing by award-winning craft maker Garvan de Bruir; elegant ceramic bird tables by Gus Mabelson; a selection of large wood-turned pieces by Liam O’Neill; Louis Mulcahy’s dramatic oversized urns and flower-inspired works by ceramicists Adele Stanley and Michelle Maher and by glass artist Catherine Keenan." ( www.ccoi.ie)

Ceramics 2009 Annual exhibition of Ceramics Ireland at Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, May 2009.

From the inside out.

Public Art Commission at St. Peter's National School, Phibsborough, Dublin, was ongoing in 2009. Full details on the project available here.



	Selection of images from the overall project.

The Kilkenny Shop - Dublin, Galway & Killarney. Ongoing showcase of Red Inside range as well as new work.

Kilkenny Shop, €395 Patchwork bowl, 43cm diameter, 18cm high.

2008 Exhibitions:

Claremorris Open 2008, Claremorris, Co. Mayo.

Award winning Pollen Hotspot, 17 piece sculpture inspired by pollen grains. 1.5m x 1.5m.

Sculpture in Context 2008 at The National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, Dublin.

Price €4,000. Dimensions 1.7m H x 80cm diameter

Outside: Insight - Sculpture in the Gardens 2008 at Brigit's Garden, Roscahill, Co. Galway. I exhibited two sculptural water installations at this exhibition, Pollen Hotspot and From the inside out. Pollen Hotspot won the Public Award for the sculpture most popular with visitors. I also exhibited The Titan Arum: Behind every great woman... in the gardens.


Award winning Pollen Hotspot, 17 piece sculpture inspired by pollen grains. €4,500 1.5m x 1.5m.	From the Inside out. Inspired by tree/bracket fungi. Overall dimensions 1.4mL x 1m W x 0.4m H, 43cm diameter, €550 each.	The Titan Arum: Behind every great man... 20 piece sculpture inspired by the female flowers of the Titan Arum. €2.500, 80cm diameter x 60cm H

The Titan Arum: Behind every great man...	Award winning Pollen Hotspot	From the Inside out.

Craft Trail at Bloom 2008, at the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

"The Craft Trail has something for all ages – whether you want to wonder at the inspiration that influenced the one-off pieces, or you’d like to try your hand at a craft you’ve always liked, or even if you are just curious to see what’s involved in crafting a piece – the opportunities are all there at Bloom. Large-scale pieces of hand-made craft from some of Ireland’s most talented designer-makers will be on display in the Craft Trail."


Puffballs: From the inside out. (Pieces shown 43cm & 27cm diameter) Seven piece Ceramic Installation at Bloom 2008, hand sculpted in crank clay.	This piece was inspired by the way a puffball fungus disintegrates from the inside and also by limestone erosion on the Clare coastline.	€3,500 seven piece installation, overall dimensions 2.2m L x 1.4m D x 0.6m H. (Individual piece €695 large & €375 small)

Ceramics 2008, Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.


Sculptural Vessel €100 (SOLD)	Different Inside € 995	Wall Piece € 110 (SOLD)

2007 EXHIBITIONS:

Sculpture in Context 2007 Puffballs: from the inside out, at The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin.


Puffballs: from the inside out, this 3 piece sculpture was located in the Botanic garden's beautiful stream. Pictured here in a cluster together under the water.	Price €3,500 (7 pce sculpture), dimensions: overall 240cm x 120cm.

Sculpture in Context 2007 - Different Inside at Airfield House, Dundrum, Dublin.


Different Inside, large 1000 euro, medium 850 euro & small 700 euro.	Overall dimensions - 210 cm L x 40 cm D x 35 cm H.

Craft in Action 2007 at The Kilkenny Shop, Nassau Street, Dublin.


	Window Display in The Kilkenny Shop at the Craft in Action event.

Sculpture in Context - Different Inside at Bloom 2007 in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

Different Inside is a set of three coil built sculptures with copper wire detail, which was inspired by tree fungi. Each one has a cluster of pine cones gathered from the trees nearby.
Overall dimensions - 210 cm L x 40 cm D x 35 cm H

Ceramics 2007 - Tree Fungus Series at Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.

Coil built Sculpture with copper wire detail from Tree Fungus Series €900

Dimensions - 60cm L x 40 cm H

2006 Exhibitions:


The National Craft & Design Fair December 2006 at the RDS.	Sculpture in Context 2006 Pollen Hotspot at The National Botanic Gardens. €4,500 (150 cm L x 150 cm D x 35 cm H)	Sculpture in Context 2006 The Titan Arum at Airfield House, Dundrum. €2,500 (80cm diameter, 60 cm H)	When the hand was lifted from the clay... Public Commission 2006 - St. Patrick's National School, Dublin 15. (7m x 1.3 m & 4m x 0.8m, on each wall respectively. )

The Spring House & Garden Show 2006, RDS. Dimensions - 27cm Diameter.	Ceramics 2006, Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.	Art in Action 2006, Townley Hall, Slane.

2005 Exhibitions:


Sculpture in Context 2005 at The National Botanic Gardens, Dublin. (Dimensions - 80cm diameter, 60 cm H)	Ordinary Plenty, two-person show at Tipperary Excel Gallery 2005.	Ceramics 2005, Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.

Garden Heaven 2005, R.D.S.	Art in Action 2005, Townley Hall, Slane.	Amhairc Fhine Gall II 2005 at Draiocht, Dublin.

2004 Exhibitions:


Sculpture in Context 2004 The Age of Christ at Farmleigh House, Dublin. (dimensions - 200 cm L x 200 cm D x 40 cm H)	Sculpture in Context 2004 The Age of Christ at The National Botanic Gardens, Dublin. (dimensions - 200 cm L x 200 cm D x 40 cm H)	C.E.A.D.Exhibition 2004 at NCAD.	Ceramics 2004, Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.


Sculpture in Context	St. Pat's N.S.	Ballintubbert Garden	Bloom 2011	Barnardos Commission	CRAFTed


The Bluewall Gallery	Sculpture in Context	Sculpture in the Gardens	Bloom	The Millcove	Rathfarnham Castle	School Art Project


Claremorris Open	Sculpture in Context	Sculpture in the Gardens	Bloom	Ardgillan Castle


Sculpture in Context	Airfield House	The Kilkenny Shop	Bloom	Ardgillan Castle


Sculpture in Context	Excel Gallery	Ardgillan Castle	Draiocht	Art in Action	Garden Heaven

Copyright ©2003-2012 Michelle Maher. All rights reserved.