Each year, the Bluecoat Display Centre and Liverpool Irish Festival -working with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland– partner to find a new Irish creative to celebrate.

We ask artists to respond to our creative brief –this year’s being ‘exchange’- and select work that a) best answers the questions we raised there and b) shows considerable skill. We are not prescriptive about the medium and have selected silversmiths, glassmakers and ceramicists from the submissions. For the second year in row, we have picked a ceramicist.

Mike Byrne hails from Limerick. His domestic ware has a sculptural quality, with surface embellishments akin to that of a printmaker’s.  With hard, thin edges like a distant horizon and outlines reminiscent of Hans Coper, Mike’s matt glazes draw you closer to touch what seem to be mineral surfaces. Available for sale, we recommend going early in the run to see as much as you can.

This exhibit is supported by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.

At the time of posting, the Bluecoat Display Centre is open Tue-Wed 11am-4.30pm, Thurs-Sat 11am-5.30pm and Sun 11am-4.30pm; closed Mondays.

To find out more about Mike, his work and the exhibition, read the online article, here.