Alison Kay Irish, b. 1953

Alison Kay is an award winning Irish ceramicist. Born in Dublin, she studied at Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design from 1971-1974, specialising in ceramics. Alison has been working in clay for over 35 years and her work is in many private and public collections including the National Museum of Ireland, the Office of Public Works, Ireland, the Consulate General of Shanghai and Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown County Council.

She exhibits regularly and has been an invited artist at the Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition and the Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition. Alison was selected to show at Ceramics Art London in 2013. She was also selected to show at Collect, London, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland in 2022 and again at Collect in 2024.

Awards include the Hallward Gallery award for Ceramics in 2008, the Ceramics Ireland Pioneering award 2012 and the Royal Ulster Academy Medal for Sculpture 2016. She has also been awarded the Arts Council Agility Award 2024.

Other exhibitions include 'Vase: Function Reviewed' at the National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, 2016, curated by Brian Kennedy. 'Crossroads' at the J. Caciolla Gallery, New Jersey, USA, 2017. 'Somewhere In Between' at So Fine Art Editions, Dublin, 2019 and 'Making Time', with Frances Lambe at the Blue Egg Gallery, Wexford Ireland.

Artists Statement

My pieces are vessel-like. An opening shows part of the interior. Sharp outlines and well defined curves give a tautness and volume to the forms. Aerodynamic shapes, plants and architecture are all sources of inspiration. My ideas come through handling the clay and making changes to what has come before.

The pieces are coil built using white Raku clay, then gradually pared back and attentively worked to achieve symmetry in the form. Layers of coloured Terra  Sigliatta are applied then burnished to give a rich sheen. After the biscuit firing, resist patterns are laid onto the surface, and then smoke fired. Afterwards, the piece is cleaned and polished, revealing the colour beneath. I am Continuing to explore the relationship between contemporary forms with surface finishes that imbue an aged and timeless quality to the work.