Connemara basket maker scoops top RDS award

A Connemara-based craftsmaker has won top prize for his sculptural basket at the RDS National Craft Awards.

Loch na Fooey-based basket maker Joe Hogan won the Established Maker Award of Excellence for Ebb & Flow, described by the judges as ‘unique, faultless and innovative.’

Joe’s pioneering work has helped transform the craft of basket-making into a more artful form, while still retaining the functional aspects of this traditional craft.

As well as sculptural works Joe also makes traditional baskets and his baskets are known for their strength and durability.

Mary Butcher who judged the basketry category said: “This work stems from the unique Irish traditional techniques, yet it is a supreme example of contemporary basketry.

“Nobody has done this style in Britain or Ireland until Joe – it’s a real step outside his own original practice and one that has already been influential. What also makes Joe different is the incredibly careful selection of each willow to obtain beautiful elegant curves, which takes years of accumulated skill.”

A second Galway craftsman also won at the same awards. Supporting emerging talent is at the core of what the RDS Arts Programme is all about. The IACI RDS Muriel Gahan Award of €2,000 is awarded to an emerging craftsperson to assist with their career or business development.

This year the prize went to Ryan Connolly for his beautifully designed and finished walnut side table which the furniture judge described as “a stunning piece of work, embracing new technology in furniture, beautifully shaped and curved”.

The prize money will help him to purchase some much needed equipment for his Galway studio.

Additional sponsorship from the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and Irish Design 2015 brought the total competition prize fund to almost €40,000 this year. The RDS National Craft Awards is one of Ireland’s most important annual showcase and competition opportunities for craft makers living and working on the island.

With categories ranging from woodturning and jewellery  to ceramics, glass and textiles, the RDS National Craft Awards is an important celebration of indigenous design and endeavour.

Winning and selected entries were shown at the RDS National Craft Awards Exhibition in the RDS Concert Hall this week and will also be exhibited during the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show, RDS August 5-9 (entry fee applies). Prize winners will be shown at the National Crafts and Design Fair, RDS, in December.