Ceramic design award creates opportunities for Mayo student

A second-year National College of Art and Design (NCAD) student won this year's Ceramic Design Award yesterday.

Ann Hughes from Mayo received the €1,000 first prize in the competition.

The runners-up were Margaret O'Connor, who received €500, and Emily Bruton, daughter of John Bruton, the EU ambassador to the US, who won the third prize of €250.

This is the third year of the competition, which is sponsored by Arnotts and run in association with NCAD's ceramics department. Students had to submit a one-off hand-built ceramic object as well as silk-screened designs applied to six ready-made porcelain plates.

As in previous years, one of the winner's plates will go into the National Museum's permanent collection.

"Our objective is to find a designer or designers with whom we can develop limited edition products for sale in the store and to find someone who can work beyond flatware into linen, crystal, kitchenware and tableware," said Eddie Shanahan, marketing manager of Arnotts.

He cited the store's successful collaboration with designer Lorraine Bowen.

The idea behind the competition is to express both the artistic and the functional aspects of ceramics, said Henry Pim, course tutor at NCAD.

Students took inspiration from religious, graphic and technology themes, one fashioning a bag "for the baggage we carry through life".

Ms Hughes said her winning plates were an abstract play on the features of the face and based on autumnal earthy colours.

A number of the students may go into commercial production. The group exhibition continues at the National Museum until June 16th before transferring to Arnotts from June 21st to July 21st.