About Me

I graduated from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland in 1992 with a BA (Hons) degree in Ceramics Design.  After a few years of extensive travel I returned to Ireland and set up Michele Hannan Ceramics, working from my ceramics studio in Dublin.  I have been working with clay for over 30 years and exhibit in galleries throughout Ireland. My ceramic range is wide and includes decorative bowls, vases, birds, wall pieces as well as one off sculptural pieces and commissions designed on request.

 I grew up making things, and the kindness and generosity of my teachers led me to art college and there my love affair with ceramics began in earnest. My love for the sea and the natural world has greatly influenced and inspired my work. My foremost memories of the sea are the beautiful Connemara beaches and shorelines and I am always trying to capture their essence. My pieces are characterised by harmony of form, colour and surface. I draw inspiration from the simple forms and patterns found in nature, and the abstract and rhythmical patterns created by the sea.  I use colour to visualise the energy of nature. 

 My work is hand built using stoneware or porcelain clay and decorated using a combination of layering glazes, slips and a fusion of glass with the ceramic. The merging and blending of these different elements in the firing process creates uniqueness and adds a richness to the form of each piece. My wall pieces incorporate a number of surface treatments and techniques such as sgraffito and enamel transfers which bring the ceramic surface to life.