Art With Purpose – Meet the Donegal potter combining creativity with functionality

Having established himself amidst the arts scenes in London and Glasgow, moving home to Donegal was a big step for Barnesmore native Kevin Callaghan.

After completing a residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris four years ago, it simply felt like the right time. With a studio becoming available in Donegal Craft Village shortly after his move, any reservations soon dissipated. Kevin set up his pottery studio in Donegal Craft Village in May 2022 and hasn’t looked back.

“When I saw there was a unit open here, I hummed and hawed with the idea,” he says. “Then I thought, I will give it a go, what do I have to lose? As soon as I opened the shop, it was instantly busy. I knew straight away it would work.”

Artistic and functional, Kevin’s earthenware range includes lamps, vessels, mugs, vases, bowls, candlesticks, jugs and more, as well as beeswax candles. Kevin also undertakes private commissions for abstract wall pieces, and collaborates with other makers in the region.

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His customers in Donegal and around the world can’t get enough of his unique pottery.

“My style is a bit abstract with influences from visiting the Far East and studying Japanese aesthetics in London,” says Kevin. “I take a more painterly approach to the work.

"I wasn’t sure if it would work in Donegal Town but people were crying out for unique artworks and objects. By fulfilling your own expression and having people then engage with the work, you come full circle with the object.

Kevin believes the time of China’s bombardment of cheap products is shifting.

He says: “People want that special object. It is a homage to their home and so they nurture it.

“The work we do here fits into that. A little bit more care and attention goes into making it. So you have a piece of artwork that is beautiful but at the end of the day, you still get to use it, engage with it, enjoy it.”

Kevin has help from two women, Ingrid and Georgina, who help with the pottery and in the shop.

“I was very lucky to find them,” he says.

The positive reaction he has received from his customers has led Kevin to be a voice of support for those who are creating something a little bit different, particularly if they are considering a career in a creative field.

“Creativity needs to be nurtured,” he says. “A young lady comes into me doing Transition Year work experience.

“Anyone who wants to approach me about anything to do with their creativity, I am totally open to that. You can 100% make a career happen. You have to put work into it, and plan a path of study.

“I am a great believer in learning from someone who knows more than me. Learn at a good pace, that gives you momentum. You will soon say, ‘This is going well and I could do this professionally.’

“It is challenging but very rewarding to know that you stuck at something against all odds. People will say it is a hard path to choose but I say, give yourself time to develop, time to be creative.

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Looking to the future, Kevin has new ideas to expand the range.

“For me it is about keeping it enjoyable, maintaining the creative energy, keeping the work playful and energetic,” he says. “And I love meeting the customers who come through the door. That makes it worthwhile. This is a nice place to be. There is a good vibe in here, a positive space.”

Kevin’s studio is open in Donegal Craft Village from 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday in winter and Monday to Saturday in summer.

kevincallaghanpottery.com

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