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About

Patricia Millar-15.jpg

 

Patricia Millar

 

Born in Belfast under the shadow of the Cavehill, Patricia's interest lies in the ancient past. A childhood playing around Bronze Age sites, digging clay and making bowls hardened in bonfires, have shaped her ceramic practice of today.

Site specific locations such as bog land, ice age shoreline and basalt coast offer rich pickings in clays, organics and gravels. 

 

An interest in a sustainable practice, fuel is sourced locally from storm dumped seaweed and wind fallen trees, to using local woodworkers' shavings for fuel.

This ancient firing marks the work with a colour signature of the landscape.

Firing processes include pit firing, wood firing and oxidation firings. Domestic ware and large jars are marked with ancient Irish rock art motifs. These are eroded and weathered by fly ash, flame work and ash glaze. Work that hints of excavated finds from an ancient past.

Relocating from the Ards Peninsula, her new studio and home will be near the village of Lisnagunogue on the famous Causeway Coast route.

Resume

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Collect Open, Crafts Council Somerset House, London 2023

Craft NI Craft NI Gallery select shows, 

2023 Collectors' Showcase, 2022 August Craft Month, 2020 Ceramic Showcase

 

Ceramics Ireland Select Members’ Exhibitions, Dublin Castle, Cowshed Gallery, Pearce Museum

2022, 21,19, 18, 17, 16, 15

 

North Down Craft Collective Exhibition North Down Museum, Ards Arts Centre, Griffin Gallery, The Loft Gallery

2023, 22, 20, 18

Royal Ulster Academy, Ulster Museum

2020, 2015

Thrown Contemporary Winter Show, London

2020

Creative Peninsula Principal Exhibition, Ards Arts Centre

2021,19, 18, 17, 16, 15

Copeland Collective, 3rd, 4th and 5th Wave Exhibitions- Haptik Gallery, Carnegie Library, North Down touring exhibition

2019,17,16

ForM Sculpture Exhibition, Walled Garden, Bangor

2018,17,16

Puffin Gallery, Ballycastle

2017

Five Create @ Studio Eight, Bangor

2017

Creative Momentum, representing Northern Ireland, The Art Hub, Urkult, Sweden

2016

Castle Espie Select Exhibition, Nature through Art

2016

Haptik Gallery, Small Works Show

2016

Fireland The Loft Gallery

2015

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SOLO EXHIBITION

Loft Gallery, “Working with the elements”

2017

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AWARDS

Crafts Potters Association Charitable Trust to attend Kiln building course at Wytham Woods, Oxford University

2023

Selected by Design Craft Council of Ireland to join Design Ireland

2022

Artists Resilience Funding, Arts Council of Northern Ireland 

2021

 

The Potters’ Potter Award, Belfast Potters’ Market

2021

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Individual Artist Award to build a wood fired kiln

2019

Individual Artist’s Grant, Ards and North Down Borough Council Wood & soda firing course with Nic Collins & Sabine Nemet, Barn Pottery, Devon

2019

Work selected for Poster Campaign, The Creative Peninsula, Ards Arts

2019

Selected Maker for Scarva Pottery Supplies Calendar

2017

Nominated as “One to Watch” Craft NI for BBC NI The Arts Show

2016

Representing Northern Ireland, Creative Momentum, Arts Hub, Urkult, Sweden

2016

Margaret Creevy Prize “Best Achievement in Applied Art” South Eastern Regional College

2014

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RESIDENCES

Awarded Residency at Ballinglen Arts Foundation , Co. Mayo by Ards and North Down Borough Council

2021

Selected for Copeland Island residency in association with Copeland Island Observatory & Ards Arts

2016

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COMMISSIONS

Trophies for Signal Business Centre, Young Chef of the Year

2019

Collaboration with the National Trust, Mount Stewart creating exclusive site specific work for shop

Current from 2018

"Bogland" Lectern commissioned by Seamus Heaney, HomePlace, The Helicon Theatre

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COLLECTIONS

2017 Permanent collection of pit fired and Bogland work, The Portico, Portaferry

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PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA

Selected Collect Open maker to speak at Collect, Somerset House, "Traditions lost, new creativity found"

2023

 

Featured ceramic artist in "Irish Ceramics, The very best of Irish contemporary ceramics book"

2021

Guest speaker, West Forest Potters Guild

2021

Featured artist in Ireland's Homes, Interiors & Lifestyle magazine

2021

Featured artist, Ceramics Ireland “Celebrating 40 years of maker and community”

2019

Invited demonstrator, BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time

2019

 

Featured Artist, BBC Countryfile Autumn Special

2018

Featured artist, Freckle Magazine

2018

“One to watch” BBC NI The Arts Show

2016

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SELECTED DESIGNER-MAKER

Art in Clay, Farnham

2023

 

Celebrating Ceramics, Waterperry Gardens

2023

Potfest, Scotland

2023,22

Belfast Potter's Market

2022,21

Art on the rails, Project 24, Bangor

2021

Vault Studios, Belfast

2021

NCC&G Artisan Craft market, Ballycastle

2021

CLAY 20: Festival of Clay, Devon

2020

The Guildhall, Derry Art fair

2019, 18, 17

FE McWilliams Gallery

2019, 18, 17

Creative Peninsula

2021, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15

Turf and Grain Magazine Select Artisan Fair

2019

Armagh Theatre Art Centre Craft Fair

2018,17

Etsy Local

2018

Art&, York

2016

Creative Hub, Urkult, Sweden

2016

 

ND Craft Collective, Permanent maker

Present from 2016

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TEACHING, DEMONSTRATIONS, WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Current from 2015 Pit Firing workshops from own studio

Art on the Rails, Project 24, Bangor

2021

CLAY 20: Festival of Clay, Devon

Maker Showcase, The Craftroom shop window, Comber

2020

“Hands Festival” An Creagan Pit firing workshop

2019

Experimental Archaeology, QUB, facilitator Building a Bronze Age Kiln 

2018

Speaker at Ceramics & it’s future Symposium, Millennium Gallery

2017

Speaker Creative Trails App launch, Creative Momentum, FE McWilliam’s Gallery

2017

 

Demonstrator, Seamus Heaney HomePlace Museum

2017

Demonstrator, Open House Festival, Bangor

2018,17

Heritage Craft, Pottery Thrower

2018,17

Creative Peninsula Open Studio Tours

2018,17,16

Demonstrator Antrim & Larne, Ards & North down Borough Councils

2019,18,17,16

On-going from 2014 A’Level Art and Applied Art Portfolio work, selected artist and workshop facilitator

Head of Key Stage 1 & Foundation, Art Co-Ordinator, Comber Primary School

1988-2014

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©Patricia Millar Ceramics 2016. All web content, including written material, images and items for sale are the intellectual property of Patricia Millar Ceramics ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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