Makers from County Derry highlighted in new exhibition at National Design and Craft Gallery

Three artists from County Derry are set to have their work featured in a new exhibition taking place at the National Design & Craft Gallery.

Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) have announced the launch of From the Ground Up: The Transformation of Irish Clay, which runs to Saturday, July 18.

Among the artists to have their work featured is Adrian Brothers and Ursula McGivern of Kildoag Pottery, near Claudy, and Leona Devine, also from the outskirts of Claudy.

They are among 42 of Ireland’s leading ceramic artists to star in the exhibition, curated by John Goode, which represents over one thousand years of combined creativity and craftsmanship.

Collectively, they showcase the strength, diversity, and vitality of Irish ceramics today, with each artist contributing a unique voice and vision. Celebrating technical mastery and innovation across traditional, contemporary, and experimental approaches, the exhibition’s pieces reflect the deep connection between material, maker, and place.

Grounded in Irish earth yet open to the world, From the Ground Up: The Transformation of Irish Clay, highlights clay as a medium continually renewed by the imagination and skill of today’s makers.

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Mary Blanchfield, CEO, DCCI said: “We’re delighted to welcome ‘From the Ground Up: The Transformation of Irish Clay’ to the National Design & Craft Gallery. The participating artists reflect and position the medium of ceramics as a vital contributor to Ireland’s contemporary design and craft landscape. This exhibition embodies DCCI’s commitment to championing Irish design, celebrating the creativity, skill, and vision of Ireland’s ceramic makers, and the distinct voices, practices, and regional traditions that make Irish ceramics so unique. It highlights DCCI’s ongoing investment in the future education of ceramics, with the launch of applications opening for the new DCCI Academy Ceramics Skills and Design degree course. We celebrate the hard work and dedication of these artists, and we look forward to what the future holds.”

Tracing the evolution of Irish clay from deep local roots to an international presence, the exhibition spans generations and techniques and the artists’ practices embody both continuity and transformation.

These ceramic artists have exhibited widely across Ireland internationally, including throughout Europe, the United States, South America, Japan, China, and India demonstrating the global significance of Irish ceramics as a discipline grounded in locality yet engaged in worldwide conversations on art, design, material culture, and sustainability.

John Goode, curator, writer and ceramic scholar added: “Irish ceramics are experiencing a remarkable moment. This exhibition celebrates artists who are pushing clay into new territories of meaning, form, and expression—affirming the global significance of Ireland’s vibrant ceramic community.”

 

'From the Ground Up: The Transformation of Irish Clay’ is now open and closes on Saturday, July 18. Admission to the exhibition is free.

More information here