23 Irish makers to feature at London's Collect Fair 2024
A selection of Ireland’s master craftspeople will feature at Collect 2024, at Somerset House, London from Friday 1 March to Sunday 3 March.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design.
To celebrate this landmark anniversary, Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s (DCCI) exhibition will feature work by 23 Irish makers. All exhibitors are from DCCI’s PORTFOLIO Critical Selection, who have participated in Collect over the last 20 years.
What is Collect 2024?
Collect 2024 offers collectors an opportunity to acquire new, museum-quality handcrafted artworks from some of this century’s finest craft talent.
Specialist galleries, dealers and collectives representing 400 artists will gather from across the globe at Collect. Ceramics, glass, lacquer, art jewellery, precious metalwork, textiles and fibre, wood and paper are all displayed side-by-side to create a unique opportunity for collectors and craft enthusiasts alike.
Artists and craft makers
Design & Crafts Council Ireland exhibitors include ceramicists, Deirdre McLoughlin, Antonio Julio López Castro, Alison Kay, Gráinne Watts, Marcus O Mahony, Susan O'Byrne, Mandy Parslow and Mike Byrne, artists Mary Nagle and Cathy Burke and sculptors Nuala O'Donovan, Jennifer Hickey, Mary Conroy, and Alan Meredith. Textile maker Helen O’Shea will exhibit alongside designers Annemarie O’Sullivan and Sasha Sykes. Other makers include John Lee, furniture designer, Jack Doherty, porcelain designer, Róisín de Buitléar, glass maker, Angela O’Kelly, Stuart Cairns, and silversmith Cara Murphy.
Panel discussions
On Friday, 1 March, Irish exhibitors Jennifer Hickey and Mike Byrne are set to engage in an insightful exhibitor talk. Joining them on Saturday, 2 March will be Sasha Sykes and Jack Doherty who will also be bringing their expertise to the stage.
Independent architect and design curator, Maria McLintock of the Design Museum London, has designed the exhibition with DCCI. Maria works as an independent curator at the Design Museum. She has co-developed the shows David Adjaye: Making Memory (2019), Designs of the Year (2019,2020) and Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers (2020). Maria has worked in a curatorial capacity within the Architecture and Design Department at The Museum of Modern Art, NYX and Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.
The representation of Ireland on such a large international stage with a display of exemplary craftsmanship and cross-border and channel collaboration is a key objective of the Government of Ireland’s Global Ireland initiative. It is a particularly timely at the start of March, when countries all over the world celebrate all that is Irish as part of St Patrick's Day celebrations. This a key time to promote Irish arts, heritage and culture to new generations and new audiences across the world.
Commenting on the launch of Collect 2024, Rosemary Steen, CEO, Design & Crafts Council Ireland said:
“Design & Crafts Council Ireland is delighted to work collaboratively with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Craft NI and Crafts Council UK to bring our finest master craftspeople to Collect in London for the 20th year. Collect provides Irish designers and makers an opportunity to celebrate the range of design and craft on an international level. I would like to extend my congratulations to all the makers involved this year”.
Adding to this, Tom Watts, Head of Design, Design & Crafts Council Ireland, said, “The fair has selected some of the finest craftspeople and designers of Ireland and we are delighted to bring them together for the 20th year in London.”
Irish Ambassador to Great Britain, Martin Fraser, said “ This initiative is not only a great way to celebrate the twenty years that Irish designers and makers have been attending Collect, but also reminds us that we can achieve great outcomes through positive collaboration.
Working in collaboration
DCCI, supported by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is working in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Craft NI and Crafts Council UK to bring this spectacular exhibition of work to London.