Kilkenny maker announced by Design & Crafts Council Ireland for London's Collect Fair 2024

A Kilkenny craftsperson will feature at Collect 2024, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design. 

Gráinne Watts will exhibit at Collect with her pieces titled ‘Floating Vessel’ and ‘Oval Wall Form’. Her work will be among a selection of Ireland’s master craftspeople at Somerset House in London from Friday to Sunday, March 1-3.

Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s (DCCI) exhibition features work by 23 Irish makers, all from DCCI’s PORTFOLIO Critical Selection, who have participated in Collect over the last 20 years. 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. Collect 2024 offers collectors an opportunity to acquire new, museum-quality handcrafted artworks from some of this century’s finest craft talent.

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 particularly meaningful at the start of March, the month when we encourage countries all over the world to celebrate all that is Irish. Global Ireland is a government initiative to double the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint in the period from 2018 to 2025. This is particularly focused on promoting Irish arts, heritage and culture to new generations and new audiences across the world.

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.

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. On Friday 1st March, Irish exhibitors Jennifer Hickey and Mike Byrne are set to engage in an insightful exhibitor talk. Joining them on Saturday 2nd March will be Sasha Sykes and Jack Doherty who will also be bringing their expertise to the stage.

Independent architect and design curator, Marie McLintock of the Design Museum London, has designed the exhibition with DCCI. Maria works as an independent curator at the Design Museum, where 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). Marie has worked in a curatorial capacity within the Architecture and Design Department at The Museum of Modern Art, NYX and Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.

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. Partnering with the Department of Foreign Affairs has been instrumental in aligning our efforts with the broader objectives of the Global Ireland initiative, ensuring that the design and craft sector’s cultural and creative reach extends globally. Collect provides Irish designers and makers an opportunity to celebrate the range of design and craft on an international level. Bringing them to Somerset House in London is the perfect opportunity to showcase their work to international collectors on a leading world stage. 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: “Collect 2024 is an exciting opportunity for makers and exhibitors to share their work at an international level. This 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.”