For Sara Flynn, creating a work of art is a challenge to shape the clay on the wheel which changes constantly in many ways as the material dries. The result of this relentless quest is a sculptural and decorative vessel.
Generally, vessels made on the potter's wheel are circular in shape with symmetrical left and right sides. However, Flynn's artworks are formed on the potter's wheel and then cut, joined, and then twisted, finally forging into characteristic forms. All of these techniques are the result of her in-depth knowledge and understanding of the materials and accumulated experience. She is also equally devoted with the selection of glazes. A vessel with a wrong or mediocre glaze will be a mediocre vessel, says Flynn, and a beautifully glazed vessel of mediocre workmanship will still be just a mediocre vessel. Fired in a gas oven at temperatures ranging from 1,260 to 1,280 degrees Celsius, Flynn's ceramics are deeply captivating, with colors that accentuate each form: complex shades of black, warm and vivid yellows, and cool yet delicate whites.
Sara Flynn
Born in Cork, Ireland in 1971. Trained in the Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork City, Ireland. Currently works in her studio at Belfast, Northern Ireland. Major awards include the 2010 Peter Brennan Pioneering Potter Award, Ceramics Ireland; The 2016 Golden Fleece Award, Merit; the 2017 Loewe Craft Prize, Finalist. Major collections includeThe Victoria & Albert Museum (London, England); The National Museum of Ireland (Ireland); The Gardiner Museum (Toronto, Canada); The Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge, England. )
