Meet the 2025 judges
Applications are now open for Future Makers 2025.
Round 1 Judges
Victoria Donovan is a silversmith with almost 40 years experience. She was apprenticed to her late father, Master Silversmith, Peter Donovan in 1985. Victoria was awarded a Kilkenny Design Workshops scholarship in 1986 and became part of the team of the Precious Metals Workshop, under Master Silversmith Des Byrne. On completion of the scholarship, she returned to Master Silversmith Peter Donovan to complete her apprenticeship. Victoria continued her career working
with her father on numerous Silversmithing projects and has also collaborated with many artists and architects on projects ranging from Tableware to Tabernacles. The passing on of traditional Silversmithing skills, techniques and design form an important role in the preservation of her craft. Victoria’s work can be seen in many churches and private collections worldwide.
Anneliese Duffy Fallon, owner of The Linen Shirt Company and founder of Fashion Connect Ireland, is a third-generation Irish fashion designer with a deep love for Irish fashion.
Her mission is to ensure that Irish fashion continues to thrive so that future generations can enjoy high-quality, locally-made clothing.
Anneliese’s upbringing on a factory floor instilled in her a deep appreciation for the skill and dedication of sewing technicians. She recognised them as the cornerstone of any successful brand. However, even as a child, she couldn’t comprehend why they weren’t formally recognized for the expertise they honed over the years. Thus, her mission became clear: to rectify this oversight if ever given the opportunity.
On March 15th, 2024, Anneliese’s mission became a reality as the first cohort of Industrial Technicians graduated with the inaugural accreditation in the history of the state, to our knowledge.
This milestone marked a significant step towards recognizing and celebrating the invaluable contributions of these skilled artisans.
Round 2 and Final Round Judges
Photo credit – Victoria Siddle
Leah Capaldi is a London-based artist celebrated for her pioneering work at the intersection of sculpture and performance. Inspired by the seminal performance art of the 1960s and 70s, she investigates the complex interplay between object and subject, using her practice to provoke reflections on surveillance, spectatorship, gender, and identity. Her works challenge audiences to reconsider their experiences both within gallery spaces and in their everyday lives. Capaldi is represented by Matt’s Gallery, London, and is a Senior Lecturer in Sculpture at Camberwell College of Art, University of the Arts London.
An international reputation precedes her as she pushes boundaries in contemporary art, creating new environments that demand innovative curatorial approaches. Capaldi’s thought-provoking statement, “I question how far you can perform an object before you become one,” underscores her compelling exploration of media, environments, and the role of spectatorship in modern art.
Brankica Zilovic, born in Serbia, is a French-Serbian visual artist and educator based in Paris. Her artistic practice spans contemporary art embroidery, installations, multimedia, painting, and drawing, while her educational focus centers on creative processes in textile art, fashion design, and contemporary art. Zilovic’s works have been showcased on both national and international stages, with exhibitions and projects spanning France, Germany, Italy, China, Senegal, the USA, and Serbia.
Over the past 17 years, she has collaborated with art galleries, institutions, museums, French contemporary art centers, cultural organizations, fashion magazines, and advertising agencies, frequently combining exhibitions with workshops and lectures. Zilovic is currently represented by ONIRIS Gallery in France and November Gallery in Serbia. Among her achievements, she has received the second prize for painting at the Antoine Marin Painting Award in Paris and the 1st MAUTO Award for installation. She is also a member of EUROPEANA’s Crafted Project board.
Zilovic holds degrees from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris (DNSAP) and the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, demonstrating her dedication to advancing both artistic innovation and education.
Belén Llamas-Ferrier did her apprenticeship in Geneva, in the famous antique dealer and framer André Buchs’s workshop, and has worked as an art framer for more than 20 years. She is an expert in antique frames, in the artisan techniques of framing and gilding as well as in the design of contemporary frames. She has worked for numerous private collectors, galleries, and other institutions such as the Giannadda Foundation, the Musée de la Réforme, the Krugier gallery, Jacques de la Béraudière, Pictet, Rolex, Fabergé…
Very involved in the safeguarding of artistic craftsmanship, Belén regularly collaborates with other artisans: sculptors, cabinetmakers, lighting designers, trompe-l’oeil painters… as well as with the prestigious Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship (Geneva). She is a founding member of the Asociación Contemporánea de Artes y Oficios that defends artisan workshops and craftsmanship in Spain.
RÓISÍN PIERCE is an Irish fashion brand founded by its creative director after studying Textile Design at NCAD Dublin. Operating at the intersection of fashion, art, sculpture, and space, the brand is defined by innovative fabric-first processes, intricate three-dimensional textures, and a signature all-white palette that reflects the history of Irish craft and women’s work. Themes of female resistance, liberation, and freedom are explored through heritage techniques such as crochet, lacemaking, and smocking, reimagined into sculptural, experimental forms. Blending artisanal craftsmanship with contemporary innovation, Pierce’s collections expand across apparel, accessories, footwear, and retail design, celebrating texture, heritage, and poetic expression.
