About
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
©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.