Sasha Sykes stages blooming lovely work at Emo Court

Head to Emo Court in Co Laois for an exquisite exhibition of contemporary artwork on display throughout the neo-classical mansion designed by James Gandon. The show, a collaboration between the Oliver Sears Gallery and the Office of Public Works, showcases work by Camille Souter, Donald Teskey, Barrie Cook, Amelia Stein and many more. A number of works by Sasha Sykes are on show, including Bloom!, a resin installation with a garden of flowers held inside forever. The exhibition opened last weekend and continues until September 29th. oliversearsgallery.com

A visitor views part of ‘Bloom!’ by Sasha Sykes

Crafts bursaries

Earlier this week the RDS Craft Awards gave a bursary of €10,000 each to five of Ireland's nascent talents to help fund their work, buy materials or go on to further education or training. This year's recipients include two jewellery designers, Genevieve Howard and Egle Banyte. The latter has been selected to show at London's Goldsmiths' Fair this autumn, something that major established artists are turned down from, says glass artist Róisín de Buitléar, the chair of this year's judging panel. Another winner, fashion designer Alla Sinkevich, has a very sustainable take on fashion.

Another winner, furniture maker Edward Coveney, showed beautiful brass mirrors as well as a floor light whose diffusing shade is a construct of deer scapula, beautiful triangular shoulder-blade bones set into a shape that could be a wimple or a shell. The bones are backlit in a way that is a very hip take on the hunting lodge aesthetic and are set into a base of Kilkenny limestone.

The final winner, glass artist Sinéad Brennan, has reinvented Dublin's drink culture by repurposing bottles of booze into homewares. A Redbreast whiskey bottle has become a vase, while on closer inspection grenade shapes, made from layers of different found glass, emulate cosmetic compacts. Another glass piece is part sword, part mascara wand. Some of her work can be seen at Cill Rialaig, Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry, until mid-August.