Design and Crafts Council of Ireland / PORTFOLIO the Critical Selection 2019 – 2020
SURFACE MATTERS
“PORTFOLIO actively works to grow the reputations and potential of makers across all major disciplines of contemporary craft. Featured makers are those producing innovative objects, either one-off pieces or limited editions, and working to high standards of design quality and technical skill.”
Since 2005, the Design and Craft Council of Ireland’s PORTFOLIO programme has been instrumental in building the international reputations and commercial potential of Ireland’s best designer-makers of contemporary craft. Jack Doherty has been selected for the current edition of the Portfolio: Critical Selection for his soda-fired porcelain vessels. The exhibition Surface Matters, will tour venues in Ireland and overseas for the next two years. A beautifully designed publication featuring the makers, their inspiration and their practice will accompany the programme engaging audiences interested in contemporary craft and design.
Selected by an international expert panel, PORTFOLIO currently showcases contemporary work by almost 150 of Ireland’s most renowned makers across the following disciplines: Ceramics, Jewellery, Glass, Metals, Paper, Textiles, Calligraphy, Furniture, Woodwork, Basketry, Fashion and Stone.
24 makers were selected for PORTFOLIO: Critical Selection 2019-2020. The judging panel were: Liz Cooper, Development Manager, Design-Nation UK; Johan Valcke, Founder of Design Flanders and Owner of Valcke Art Gallery, Ghent, Belgium and Kim Mawhinney, Head of Art, National Museums of Northern Ireland.
PORTFOLIO: Critical Selection is a biennial publication of the leading edge of Irish contemporary design and craft in a world-class context. This volume, Surface Matters, is published by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland in order to increase awareness and understanding of top Irish makers and their work, particularly among Irish and international collectors, galleries, commissioning bodies and museums. The 24 makers featured in PORTFOLIO: Critical Selection 2019 – 2020 have been selected for achieving excellence in design and craftsmanship by comparative international standards.
The publication and accompanying exhibition, “Surface Matters” launched at The Coach House in Dublin Castle on February 21st and ran until May 19th. It toured to the Artesania Catalunya in Barcelona from May 30th to July 31st 2019 and then at the National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny from November 22nd 2019 until February 24th 2020.
The reach with our PORTFOLIO programme has been extending significantly over the last number of years. We work closely with the National Museum of Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs running two joint purchase funds. This has meant that contemporary design and craft features strongly in the National Museum of Ireland’s decorative arts collections and is showcased in a number of Irish embassies around the world. The full list of acquisitions with the National Museum of Ireland, the Contemporary Collection of Design & Craft, can be viewed here.
http://portfolio.dccoi.ie/
Images courtesy of DCCoI | Photographer Credit Roland Paschhoff
