18th February 2025: Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) has announced its representatives at Collect 2025, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design taking place in Somerset House from Friday, 28th February to Sunday, 2nd March, with previews on 26th and 27th February. This year, 14 artists and makers will represent Ireland at Collect, each a craftsperson in their discipline from woodturning to ceramics. Collect provides a stimulating environment for art collectors to discover new works. It is a vibrant setting where museums and art advisory acquire for contemporary collections, and where interior designers select work with clients looking to enrich their lives through craft.
The 14 artists and makers selected for this year’s fair, highlighting fresh talent from Ireland, are Paola Di Legge (Mixed Media Constructing); Martin Ryan (Woodturning); Michael Murphy (Woodturning); Alison Nea (Fashion Design); Edwyn James Hickey (Furniture Making); Darragh Mulryan (Print Making); Katharina Treml (Ceramics); Antonio Bozic (Furniture Making); John Farrell (Furniture Making); Maria Atanackovic (Printmaking); Michael Healey (Furniture Making); Noel Donnellan (Ceramics); Claire Mooney (Silversmith) and Richard Butler (Cabinet Maker). The featured artists were selected from the winners of DCCI Future Makers awards and graduated fellows from the Homo Faber Fellowship programme duos.
Forty leading galleries, dealers and collectives representing over 400 of the most exciting contemporary artists, will gather at Collect 2025 from over 30 countries from across the globe: UK, Asia, Africa, America, Europe and Middle East. DCCI, supported by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is working in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Crafts Council UK to display this spectacular exhibition of Irish work in London.
We continue to see the strong representation of Ireland on such a large international stage with a display of exemplary craftsmanship and cross-border and channel collaboration. This is a key objective of the Government of Ireland’s Global Ireland initiative. It is meaningful at the start of March, the month when we encourage countries all over the world to celebrate all that is Irish. Global Ireland is a government initiative to double the scope and impact of Ireland’s global footprint in the period from 2018 to 2025. This is focused on promoting Irish arts, heritage and culture to new generations and new audiences across the world. Collect offers attendees the opportunity to engage with a line-up of 40 prestigious galleries. Hand-picked by an expert advisory panel, together they will present 400 living artists and their works.
Independent architect and design curator, Maria McLintock of the Design Museum London, has designed the exhibition with DCCI. Maria works as an independent curator at the Design Museum, where she has co-developed the shows David Adjaye: Making Memory (2019), Designs of the Year (2019,2020) and Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers (2020) and worked on The World of Tim Burton (2024). Maria has worked in a curatorial capacity within the Architecture and Design Department at The Museum of Modern Art, NYX and Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.
Commenting on the opening of Collect 2025, Mary Blanchfield, Interim CEO, Design & Crafts Council Ireland said, “We’re thrilled to announce the exceptional group of Irish artists who will represent Ireland at Collect 2025. This year’s participation marks another milestone in showcasing the incredible talent, creativity, and craftsmanship that Ireland has to offer. Through our continued collaboration with Crafts Council UK, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, we are proud to further elevate the global presence of Irish design. Collect offers a unique platform for these artists to connect with an international audience, reinforcing the importance of Irish craftsmanship within the global cultural landscape.”
Maria McLintock, architecture and design curator, lecturer and writer, said: “It’s a real pleasure to work on Collect again this year with such a special roster of artists and artisans from my home island. This year’s exhibition will examine the ‘art of making’ as a response to the increasing fragility of our ecosystem, as well as our collective responsibility for preserving and caring for its materials.”
ENDS
Makers in the DCCI exhibition at Collect
| List of Exhibitors at Collect 2025 | |
| Paola di Legge | Mixed Media Constructing |
| Martin Ryan | Woodturning |
| Michael Murphy | Woodturning |
| Alison Nea | Fashion Design |
| Edwyn James Hickey | Furniture Making |
| Darragh Mulryan | Print Making |
| Katharina Treml | Ceramics |
| Antonio Bozic | Furniture Making |
| John Farrell | Furniture Making |
| Maria Atanackovic | Printmaking |
| Michael Healey | Furniture Making |
| Claire Mooney | Silversmith |
| Noel Donnellan | Ceramics |
| Richard Butler | Cabinet Making |
For further press information, please contact: [email protected]
For further information on DCCI and Collect, please contact Suzy O’Keefe or Eimear Harding at DCCI on [email protected]
About Design & Crafts Council Ireland
Design & Crafts Council Ireland is the national agency for craft and design in Ireland, we support designers and makers to develop their businesses in a sustainable way, and advocate for the societal benefits of craft and design. DCCI’s activities are funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment via Enterprise Ireland. DCCI currently has sixty-four member organisations and over 3,500 registered clients.
www.dcci.ie / @dccireland
About Collect
Collect looks forward to welcoming visitors to the stunning neo-classical rooms of Somerset House in central London, for a five-day celebration of international contemporary craft and design from Thursday, 27th February to Sunday, 2nd March. Presented by Crafts Council and recognised as being at the forefront of the contemporary craft movement, this year marks the 21st edition of the art fair.
Collect offers attendees the opportunity to engage with a line-up of 40 prestigious galleries. Hand-picked by an advisory panel, together they will present 400 living artists and their works, 80% of which have been made in the last five years. This year, Collect welcomes eight new galleries and a myriad of artists pushing the boundaries of their medium.
About Future Makers:
Established in 2009, Future Makers is a Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) initiative which recognises talent, potential and creativity. It is a platform to showcase the talent of the next generation of makers, designers, and craftspeople to take the step from training into enterprise and it provides them with much-needed financial support.
About Homo Faber Fellowship:
The Homo Faber Fellowship, a programme presented by the Michelangelo Foundation, is an annual 7-month sponsored professional integration programme designed for duos of established artisans and craft graduates. Participants develop business and marketing knowledge, as well as design and hands-on practical skills through transmission from one generation to the next. The programme is developed with the support of Jaeger-LeCoultre who share a vision for the future of craftsmanship. The programme takes place from September to March every year in partnership with local members of the Foundation’s network, of which Design & Crafts Council Ireland is one.
