Longford glass maker features in national craft exhibition

A Longford glass maker is showcasing her work at a new glass exhibition at the National Design and Craft Gallery

Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) announced the launch of 'Of Sand and Ash', a new exhibition taking place from Thursday, August 6 to Saturday, October 24, in partnership with the Glass Society of Ireland (GSoI).

County Longford woman Emer O'Donnell is one of the talented glass makers who will be exhibiting her work.

Emer, who specialises in engraving, sand blasting and stained glass, graduated with an honours Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) from the National College of Art and Design (NCAD).

'Of Sand and Ash' is a coming together of tradition, innovation and national talent, showcasing the relevance of glass making in contemporary Ireland.

The exhibition is a testament to DCCI’s ongoing commitment to highlighting and engaging audiences with the best of Irish heritage craft on a national scale.

Bringing together over 66 of their members and showcasing 99 works across a wide range of glass processes, the exhibition is a significant overview of contemporary glass practice that takes place in Ireland today.

Telling the story of glass making through its makers, their work, materials and processes; the exhibition unfolds in glass making technique chapters including 'Heat and Breath', 'Time and Pressure', 'Surface and Trace', 'Light and Structure', 'Object', 'Vessel and Form', 'Expanded Glass', and 'In the Making'.

Visitors are introduced to the studio practices that define this discipline, gaining insight into both the technical execution and the underlying intent behind each work.

To provide a comprehensive overview of the craft, this exhibition contextualises finished pieces by presenting them alongside the physical components of their creation.

The display integrates completed artworks with the specific tools, raw materials, initial sketches, and developmental archives from which they emerged.

This allows the viewer to not only appreciate the finished piece but also follow the full process that brought it to being.

This exhibition leads that narrative forward, through Irish makers who have worked this material with skill, patience and innovation and who are dedicated to its preservation and viability.

Mary Blanchfield, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said: “We are delighted to work in partnership with the Glass Society of Ireland to highlight and celebrate the work of contemporary glass artists in Ireland.

"This exhibition, spanning both rooms of the National Design & Craft Gallery, will illustrate the story of this craft through the makers, processes, skill and knowledge needed to create beautiful pieces of work, while demonstrating how Ireland’s craft traditions continue to evolve, inspire and shape our society and cultural identity.”

Adding to this, Ava Hayes, co-curator and artist said: "'Of Sand and Ash' celebrates the extraordinary breadth of contemporary Irish glass.

"Through the vision of over 65 artists, Of Sand and Ash reveals a medium that is bold, experimental and profoundly contemporary - alive with possibility, shaped by community and constantly transforming."

Lindsay LeBlanc, co-curator and artist said: "Rooted in the Glass Society of Ireland, Of Sand and Ash is a portrait of makers continually shaping what glass in Ireland can be.

“Moving through its chapters, visitors experience glass not as a single tradition but as a living, expansive field of making. Together, the work reflects the skill, generosity and momentum of a community expanding what glass can be."

'Of Sand and Ash' takes place at the National Design and Craft Gallery from Thursday, August 6 to Saturday, October 24, in partnership with the Glass Society of Ireland.

The gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5:30pm.

Admission to the exhibition is free. For more information, visit www.dcci.ie / https://www.glasssocietyofireland.ie Join the conversation on Instagram @dccireland / @ndcgallery