Jennifer Hickey always remembers making things with her hands in her youth. With two sisters now fashion designers – Emer Hickey works in couture with Thom Browne in New York, and Laura Chambers has a cashmere label in Dublin – there was always a sewing machine and fabrics in her creative and fashion-obsessed house.
The trio all later went to the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, where Jennifer was initially drawn to textiles, in the form of weaving or embroidery, before discovering an enduring love for ceramics.
“I loved porcelain; the minute I started working with it, I thought, ‘That’s it.’ I’ve been working with it for 25 years, and I haven’t wanted to work with any other clay. I think that there is a beauty to porcelain; it’s a magical material to work with because it is so translucent when you put it in the kiln and high-fire it. The light affects it in a really beautiful way, so I’ve spent all of those years developing and honing it to the way I want, to express myself through the material.”
That early work with fabrics obviously left a lasting impression on the Dubliner, though. Now based in the west, she uses material, tulle and thread to make beautiful textural sculptures which have been exhibited at shows in New York, Seville and Korea. She is preparing to exhibit at Collect 2026, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, in Somerset House, London from 26 February to 1 March.
Porcelain inspiration
Each of her eye-catching sculptures is made from thousands of tiny, wafer-thin fired porcelain pieces. These are made by hand-working the porcelain to a fine, almost paper-thin finish. Texture is then applied before each piece is pierced and then high-fired in the kiln. After firing, the pieces are sewn with a tulle fabric or thread over a porcelain sculptural form taking several months.
“The way I work is quite unique. It’s very intricate and labour intensive, so it’s very, very slow, and it’s the slowness that I love. I love getting lost in a piece,” explains Jennifer.
“It [the piece] is very solid. Everybody is terrified that they are very fragile, but because there are so many pieces, they almost get a strength in their making when they are sewn. They aren’t as fragile as they seem. I’m so used to working with porcelain now that I push the material to the limit so that it looks really fine, like paper. Once it’s fired in the kiln, it’s strong.”
Making the move from the capital to close to Louisburgh, Co Mayo five years ago has certainly had a big influence on her work, she tells Irish Country Living. For a start, being “so immersed” in her work in a rural area means a greater appreciation for the beauty and subtlety of nature and the changing of the seasons.
“The openness of where we are and the sky and all of that has started to come into my work more. I suppose I’m just more aware of my relationship with my surroundings and nature, more than I’ve ever been before, which is really nice.
A porcelain, tulle and thread piece entitled Winter Rose by Jennifer Hickey. /Michael McLaughlin
“Our house is on two acres, and we built the studio ourselves when we moved, so it is something we could never have done in Dublin.”
Asked what her pieces represent, the artist and sculptor says each is very personal and a response to how she sees the world.
“They are obviously very inspired by nature and my surroundings, but a lot are about what is happening in my life too, and because I work on them for months and months, what happens in your life informs the piece as well. It draws something out of you because it’s so immersive.”
While it was always a dream to move to the country with their two girls, it was an extra leap because Jennifer and her husband Luke O’Callaghan, a potter (9yardceramics.com), were both leaving behind jobs in IMMA and the National Gallery to follow their dream to be full-time creatives.
“It’s been incredible; it’s definitely been challenging, but it has been the right move for us,” she says.
A lot of poets and writers live quite close to them, so rather than being isolated, they have been able to tap into a lovely artistic community nearby and meet many other artists and makers close by in Westport.
The big challenge, she says, is that you have to drive far to get anywhere, while the internet and phone signal are not as good as they should be.
With few opportunities in Ireland to showcase her work, Jennifer relies on events and fairs abroad to connect with other makers and collectors. She is also part of the Homo Faber organisation, which is committed to supporting creatives and keeping the craft alive in today’s world.
“Showing outside of Ireland is vital for me. Fairs like Collect 2026, and then I was in another in Paris in May, called Revelations, which is similar to Collect, attract makers from all around the world. It would be high craft, so it borders with fine art.”
Last year proved to be a big year for her, winning the Established Maker 2025 Award at the RDS Arts Awards and being the only Irish representative selected to participate in the INTERWOVEN exhibition in Seville, Spain, which attracted 30 makers from all over the globe.
“It was exquisite,” Jennifer says of the Spanish experience. “There is a real appreciation of that kind of work in Europe, so it really encourages you to keep going.”
A porcelain piece entitled 'Together' by Mayo artist Jennifer Hickey. /Michael Mc Laughlin
International dimension
Jennifer’s creations have ended up being bought for collections, both public and private. She has a piece in the National Museum of Ireland and also works on commissions. Asked about a dream home for her work, Jennifer replies that it would be “such an honour” to see one of the big museums or galleries purchase a piece for a collection that is appreciated and looked after.
“It’s so important for organisations to purchase art and keep collections going. We [artists] rely so heavily on people buying the work,” she stresses.
In terms of what the State could do to support the creative communities around the country more, she says a successor to the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot scheme, which was announced after our chat, is vital, especially if you are showing overseas.
Minister Patrick O’Donovan announced on 10 February that practising artists based in the Republic of Ireland will be invited in May to apply, and 2,000 eligible artists will be selected to receive the payment of €325 per week for three years.
For now, though, she is excited about being part of the 16-strong representation chosen by the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) for her fourth Collect event, a global marketplace for museum curators, interior designers and collectors in London.
Jennifer Hickey working in her rural studio near Louisburgh, Co Mayo.
“It’s amazing because you get to explore all of these different makers who work with so many materials and use them in very sculptural ways. I mean anything from paper, leather, or wood. It’s like a feast for your eyes; it’s an incredible place to be, and there’s a great energy because everyone loves their materials and making.” After many months of toil she is looking forward to “letting the work out of the studio and into the world”.
See jenniferhickeyartist on Instagram or jenniferhickey.com
Jennifer Hickey always remembers making things with her hands in her youth. With two sisters now fashion designers – Emer Hickey works in couture with Thom Browne in New York, and Laura Chambers has a cashmere label in Dublin – there was always a sewing machine and fabrics in her creative and fashion-obsessed house.
The trio all later went to the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, where Jennifer was initially drawn to textiles, in the form of weaving or embroidery, before discovering an enduring love for ceramics.
“I loved porcelain; the minute I started working with it, I thought, ‘That’s it.’ I’ve been working with it for 25 years, and I haven’t wanted to work with any other clay. I think that there is a beauty to porcelain; it’s a magical material to work with because it is so translucent when you put it in the kiln and high-fire it. The light affects it in a really beautiful way, so I’ve spent all of those years developing and honing it to the way I want, to express myself through the material.”
That early work with fabrics obviously left a lasting impression on the Dubliner, though. Now based in the west, she uses material, tulle and thread to make beautiful textural sculptures which have been exhibited at shows in New York, Seville and Korea. She is preparing to exhibit at Collect 2026, the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, in Somerset House, London from 26 February to 1 March.
Porcelain inspiration
Each of her eye-catching sculptures is made from thousands of tiny, wafer-thin fired porcelain pieces. These are made by hand-working the porcelain to a fine, almost paper-thin finish. Texture is then applied before each piece is pierced and then high-fired in the kiln. After firing, the pieces are sewn with a tulle fabric or thread over a porcelain sculptural form taking several months.
“The way I work is quite unique. It’s very intricate and labour intensive, so it’s very, very slow, and it’s the slowness that I love. I love getting lost in a piece,” explains Jennifer.
“It [the piece] is very solid. Everybody is terrified that they are very fragile, but because there are so many pieces, they almost get a strength in their making when they are sewn. They aren’t as fragile as they seem. I’m so used to working with porcelain now that I push the material to the limit so that it looks really fine, like paper. Once it’s fired in the kiln, it’s strong.”
Making the move from the capital to close to Louisburgh, Co Mayo five years ago has certainly had a big influence on her work, she tells Irish Country Living. For a start, being “so immersed” in her work in a rural area means a greater appreciation for the beauty and subtlety of nature and the changing of the seasons.
“The openness of where we are and the sky and all of that has started to come into my work more. I suppose I’m just more aware of my relationship with my surroundings and nature, more than I’ve ever been before, which is really nice.
A porcelain, tulle and thread piece entitled Winter Rose by Jennifer Hickey. /Michael McLaughlin
“Our house is on two acres, and we built the studio ourselves when we moved, so it is something we could never have done in Dublin.”
Asked what her pieces represent, the artist and sculptor says each is very personal and a response to how she sees the world.
“They are obviously very inspired by nature and my surroundings, but a lot are about what is happening in my life too, and because I work on them for months and months, what happens in your life informs the piece as well. It draws something out of you because it’s so immersive.”
While it was always a dream to move to the country with their two girls, it was an extra leap because Jennifer and her husband Luke O’Callaghan, a potter (9yardceramics.com), were both leaving behind jobs in IMMA and the National Gallery to follow their dream to be full-time creatives.
“It’s been incredible; it’s definitely been challenging, but it has been the right move for us,” she says.
A lot of poets and writers live quite close to them, so rather than being isolated, they have been able to tap into a lovely artistic community nearby and meet many other artists and makers close by in Westport.
The big challenge, she says, is that you have to drive far to get anywhere, while the internet and phone signal are not as good as they should be.
With few opportunities in Ireland to showcase her work, Jennifer relies on events and fairs abroad to connect with other makers and collectors. She is also part of the Homo Faber organisation, which is committed to supporting creatives and keeping the craft alive in today’s world.
“Showing outside of Ireland is vital for me. Fairs like Collect 2026, and then I was in another in Paris in May, called Revelations, which is similar to Collect, attract makers from all around the world. It would be high craft, so it borders with fine art.”
Last year proved to be a big year for her, winning the Established Maker 2025 Award at the RDS Arts Awards and being the only Irish representative selected to participate in the INTERWOVEN exhibition in Seville, Spain, which attracted 30 makers from all over the globe.
“It was exquisite,” Jennifer says of the Spanish experience. “There is a real appreciation of that kind of work in Europe, so it really encourages you to keep going.”
A porcelain piece entitled 'Together' by Mayo artist Jennifer Hickey. /Michael Mc Laughlin
International dimension
Jennifer’s creations have ended up being bought for collections, both public and private. She has a piece in the National Museum of Ireland and also works on commissions. Asked about a dream home for her work, Jennifer replies that it would be “such an honour” to see one of the big museums or galleries purchase a piece for a collection that is appreciated and looked after.
“It’s so important for organisations to purchase art and keep collections going. We [artists] rely so heavily on people buying the work,” she stresses.
In terms of what the State could do to support the creative communities around the country more, she says a successor to the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot scheme, which was announced after our chat, is vital, especially if you are showing overseas.
Minister Patrick O’Donovan announced on 10 February that practising artists based in the Republic of Ireland will be invited in May to apply, and 2,000 eligible artists will be selected to receive the payment of €325 per week for three years.
For now, though, she is excited about being part of the 16-strong representation chosen by the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) for her fourth Collect event, a global marketplace for museum curators, interior designers and collectors in London.
Jennifer Hickey working in her rural studio near Louisburgh, Co Mayo.
“It’s amazing because you get to explore all of these different makers who work with so many materials and use them in very sculptural ways. I mean anything from paper, leather, or wood. It’s like a feast for your eyes; it’s an incredible place to be, and there’s a great energy because everyone loves their materials and making.” After many months of toil she is looking forward to “letting the work out of the studio and into the world”.
See jenniferhickeyartist on Instagram or jenniferhickey.com
SHARING OPTIONS