Showcasing Erin's Best

When one thinks of Irish product, what immediately comes to mind are names such as Waterford and Belleek, and images of heavy cut crystal, hand-knit sweaters, and shamrocks. These are important elements of Irish design and manufacturing, but there is much more to it, as a visit to Showcase Ireland so grandly demonstrated.

Showcase Ireland, produced by Showcase Ireland Events on behalf of the Crafts Council of Ireland, and promoted by Enterprise Ireland and LEDU, the Small Business Agency for Northern Ireland, brings together more than 650 exhibitors to fill the RDS Complex in Dublin, and nearly 11,000 buyers, including over 2,000 from European Union countries and North America.

While perhaps small by American trade show standards, what it may have lacked in size, it made up for in quality and creativity. Showcase is easy to navigate and highlights the best that Ireland has to offer when it comes to giftware, crafts, fashion, and decorative accessories.

While there is a lot of tradition-based design at the core of more familiar Irish product, there is also a large fashion- and design-forward movement underway. Larger crystal companies like Waterford and Tipperary are tapping fashion designers such as John Rocha and Louise Kennedy to broaden their designs with a more contemporary approach. Meanwhile, smaller designer craftspeople, such as Niamh Hynes and New Product Award winner Rachel O'Connell, are creating tabletop and home accessories for today's casual but design-conscious lifestyles. Some, like woodturner Paddy Mulholland, find ways to enhance the beauty of traditional objects; others, like textile artist Shauna Swords, are breaking out with imaginative pieces that are more like functional decorative art.

The dynamic surroundings and natural materials that the country offers also play a strong role in influencing Ireland's designers. This was evident in all categories from porcelain (Royal Tara's Shore pattern with convex curvilinear shapes and delicate dune grass design) to jewelry (The Cat & The Moon's Streamlet line representing the ripple of flowing water) where designs revealed an organic, yet contemporary look. Of particular note were the swirling waves of blue and green in Jerpoint's Seascape glassware, and Eamon Glass' Feuille pattern with delicate etched-leaf designs.

The very earth of Ireland, its clays, provides the medium through which many designers express themselves, and the range of expression runs the gamut from elegant to country cottage, delicate to bold, traditional to contemporary, and decorative to functional.

Nicholas Mosse continues to grow his pottery business by adding vibrant new casual country floral designs, coordinating clocks, mirrors, and linens, as well as using old transfer techniques in creative new ways for a fresh look. Stephen Pearce's earthenware pottery is a bold counterpoint to the porcelain pieces by Niamh Hynes. But both potters use shape, simple glazing, and subtle decoration to appeal to both traditional and contemporary audiences. Taking an entirely different approach, Brigitta Seck makes a design statement on her ceramic vessels through texture and pattern. Intricate patterns impressed in slab clay give her pieces a subtle aspect that is enhanced by the play of light and shadow on the texture.

Many artisans and manufacturers also drew inspiration from traditional Celtic design. Some, like Mullingar Pewter, presented designs in a traditional, straightforward way, while others reinterpreted them in a fresh manner for the modern consumer. This was evident in all product categories from jewelry to home textiles. Striking in their simplicity and abstract expression, the pillows and wall hangings by Catherine McCaul of Craft Erine Design were real traffic-stoppers. Using a limited palette of black, white, and natural tones, McCaul embroiders design elements from Irish dancing costumes onto Irish linen. The Green Gallery uses Celtic design elements in a minimalist way to create striking wall decor and lampshades with hand-painted three-dimensional images.

You cannot attend a show in Ireland and not mention a mainstay of Irish manufacturing: crystal and glass. From small to large, the glass companies were there in force, each presenting its own point of view.

Many companies, such as Waterford and Galway, present their own interpretations of the traditional shapes and the heavy cuts for which Irish crystal is widely known, as well as newer, more simplified, elegant, yet casual designs. Others, such as Jerpoint Glass Studio, a follower of the Swedish glassblowing tradition, and Eamon Glass, with its elegant, casual look, stress modern qualities. Heritage Crystal, a company that is dedicated to the tradition of the art form, but takes a more modern approach to shapes and patterns, had a central location directly in the afternoon sun that did more to set off the product than any halogen spotlight ever could.

The variety of home decor items was impressive. Blacksmithing has been elevated to its highest form of design artistry, as illustrated by the smooth sinuous benches, tables, lamps, and mirrors on display. Unusual rope-wrapped tables and cubes from True North alluded to the island's seafaring tradition. Unique treatments of mirrors from companies such as Anvil Craft Ironworks and Rathbanna positioned the looking glasses in the realm of functional wall art.

On the more traditional side of wall art, Philip Gray Fine Art presented an outstanding collection of limited-edition framed prints. Of particular note is his new Expressions line of framed prints that are positioned to move into the special-occasion gift arena and come gift-boxed and specially tagged.

For buyers interested in glimpsing a smaller bit of what Ireland offers, The Ireland Show, next month in New Jersey (see p. 14), will bring over more than 200 vendors to present a buying experience to whet the appetite before attending the next Showcase Ireland in January 2003.