From August 9th-25th, 20 of Ireland’s best makers will descend on Ballymaloe Grainstore in Cork for Irish Design Works 2024, a free exhibition of contemporary craft and design including furniture, ceramics and sculpture aimed at showcasing the best of Irish artisan crafts.
Among those taking part this year is Cork’s Alan Horgan of Alan Horgan Studio.
This marks the first Irish Design Works exhibition since 2019, and the first time it is taking place in Cork.
The celebration of Irish design and craftsmanship includes free admission and will kick off on August 9th with an opening night of wine and canapés from 7-9pm. Each of the pieces on display are uniquely designed and produced in Ireland, and the public will get a great insight to the diversity of Irish talent on offer.
Irish Design Works 2024 will allow an exclusive group of Irish makers from across the country to display their unique pieces, with a wide range of disciplines on show including furniture and lighting, ceramics, artisan rugs and knives, and sculptural works in wood, glass and willow.
The exhibition will open daily from 11am-5pm and several of the makers will be on-hand throughout the weekend dates to chat to the public about their innovative work or to discuss a custom project.
This year, the makers are from Cork, Carlow, Clare, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Tipperary, Wicklow, and Wexford.
Commenting on the exhibition, Alan Horgan of Alan Horgan Studio said: “We are delighted to be joining Irish Design Works and showcasing our work among some of the finest artisan designers and makers Ireland has to offer.
We are passionate about design and craftsmanship, and we look forward to exhibiting our nature-inspired, unique light designs to the Irish audience this August in our home county of Cork and the lovely setting of Ballymaloe.”
Speaking about the upcoming exhibition, Tricia Harris of Studio Harris commented: “This is our first year bringing the Irish Design Works exhibition to Cork, so we are very excited about that, and to be in the beautiful setting of Ballymaloe makes it even more special.
This is a self-funded group show brought together by a small selection of Irish-based makers, providing an opportunity to buy unique pieces directly from the creators. The mixed-discipline aspect of the show means visitors will get to enjoy a range of high quality, design focused works and to see a snapshot of the diversity of creative talent and skill that exists in Ireland at the moment.”
Irish Design Works 2024 provides a platform for small Irish craftspeople to advertise their offerings, as one of the founding organisers of the Irish Design Works series of exhibitions.
Irish Design Works 2024 will take place from August 9th-25th in Ballymaloe Grainstore, opening daily from 11am-5pm.
