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© Marcus O'Mahony
© Marcus O'Mahony
© Marcus O'Mahony
© Marcus O'Mahony

Marcus O’Mahony

  • Ceramicist
  • Lismore, Ireland
  • Master Artisan
Marcus O’Mahony Ceramicist
Contact
English, French, German, Spanish
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+353 (0)862028756
© All rights reserved

Harnessing fire and earth

  • • Marcus is a skilled maker with extensive experience
  • • His work is in the collection of the National Museum of Ireland
  • • His pots combine savoir-faire and risk

Marcus O’Mahony creates functional, expressive pots rooted in the rich history of ceramics. He is a skilled potter, working at the wheel to shape the clay. Yet Marcus also has another tool, his hand-built wood fired kilns. Here his pieces transform through fire and heat. Over many years he has experimented with surface treatments, firing types and even placement of the pots inside the kiln. Each element contributes to the finish of the work. The effects can range from the dramatic to the subdued. Although experienced in the techniques he practices Marcus knows there is always room for the unexpected, making this an exciting process which connects him to the pots from creation to completion.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Marcus O'Mahony
  • © Marcus O'Mahony
  • © Marcus O'Mahony
  • © Marcus O'Mahony
  • © Marcus O'Mahony
Photo: © Marcus O'Mahony
Spherical vase

This vase has a full-bodied spherical form with an enclosing neck at the top. It has been coated in a number of layers of white slip and crackle slip. The colour moves from soft browns and tans at the bottom of the vase, to a creamy white slip at the top. There are areas of ash glaze and fly ash. The clay is stoneware with feldspar chip inclusions. The pot was wheel thrown and was placed on sea shells and fired to 1,320°C in a woodfire kiln.

Length 20 cm
Width 20 cm
Height 17 cm

Photo: © Marcus O'Mahony
Squared bottle

This pot was thrown on the wheel without a base, it was then altered into a rectangular shape, and a base was added together with a coiled top opening. A neck was added and feet cut into the bottom. The piece was then salt-glazed in an area of the kiln with minimum salt exposure. This results in an attractive dry orange surface colour, contrasted with blue celadon glaze pours. The clay is grogged stoneware.

Length 15 cm
Width 7 cm
Height 11 cm

Photo: © Marcus O'Mahony
Lidded vessel

This lidded pot was thrown on the wheel. The top quarter of the pot was pushed in, resulting in a distinctive division and bulge to the form, to form the lid gallery. This shape is sometimes known as a Gourd. The tone of the base colour is a dark chestnut and areas of thick white slip have been applied in spontaneous marks. A tan orange was also applied. Wood ash and fly ash from the firing have added green tones to the form. It was wood fired to 1,320°C.

Length 18 cm
Width 18 cm
Height 16 cm

Photo: © Marcus O'Mahony
Side-fired vase

This classically shaped vase rises from a narrow base to a wide shoulder and narrow neck. Its vibrant colour of red, orange and tan derives from the applied slips and salt-glazed process. It was fired on its side sitting on three sea shells. This prevents the pot from sticking to the kiln shelf but it also creates an area of the pot that resists the effects of the salt or salting, resulting in an area of intense colour. Ash and fly-ash from the burning wood also contribute to the green tones. The clay is iron bearing stoneware and the piece is wood-fired to 1,300°C in a salt kiln.

Length 23 cm
Width 23 cm
Height 20 cm

Photo: © Marcus O'Mahony
Large vase

This large, full-formed vase rises from a narrow base to a wide shoulder with a narrow neck. It was wheel thrown using stoneware clay containing grog and feldspar chips. It was shaped using textured paddles to accentuate the wide shoulder. Its colour is a rich dark chestnut with contrasting areas of a yellow/ orange slip. The pot was also decorated with spontaneous drawing. It was wood fired in a salt kiln and was placed out of the direct path of the salt, resulting in a dry, matt and earthy surface. It was fired to 1,320°C.

Length 30 cm
Width 30 cm
Height 26 cm

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