Susan O’Byrne is an Irish ceramic artist based in Glasgow, Scotland. She received her BA (First Class Hons) and post graduate diploma in Ceramics from Edinburgh College of Art, UK.
Her work has received several awards, including the Craft Potters Charitable Trust Award (UK), The Inches Carr Foundation Bursary (Scotland) and the Archie Bray Foundation Rudy Autio Development Grant and Sage Scholarship (US).
Her pieces are housed in several US and European public collections and are regularly exhibited internationally.
While specialising in the making of allegorical animal forms, Susan’s practice draws on familiar and historical craft traditions to develop a unique set of ceramic making processes which aim to articulate human sensitivity.
Most recent works are still animal forms that attempt to suggest their patient slow creation by hand by someone for some specific reason in the past.
Surface decoration has become specifically relevant in this context by celebrating historical domestic needlepoint, communal or familial making and the stories told in rhythm with these practices. Susan’s unique surface patterning technique involves the design and use of laser-cut stencils to create intricate, encaustic patterns of coloured slip in very thin sheets of paper-porcelain. These are then cut and applied as a collaged veneer to the surface of the animal body before firing.
Susan O'Byrne CV
Education
Grennan Mill Craft School:
Certificate with Merit 1999
Edinburgh College of Art:
Post Graduate Diploma in Ceramics 2000
First Class Honours Degree in Design and Applied Art 1999
Solo Exhibitions
Galerie Marianne Heller Heidelberg, Germany Dec-Jan 2016
Ruthin Craft Centre Ruthin, Wales Sept- Nov 2015
The Harley Gallery, Nottingham, England Aug- Sept 2012
Galerie Marianne Heller Heidelberg, Germany Dec-Jan 2012
Galerie du Don, Aveyron, France Jun-Sept 2011
The Harley Gallery Nottingham, England Aug 2001
Two-person Exhibitions
'Wild Things', Contemporary Ceramics, London Oct-Nov 2023
Contemporary Applied Arts, London Sept-Oct 2016
Bircham Gallery, Holt, England Sept-Oct 2014
Contemporary Ceramics, London Aug-Sept 2014
Selected Group Exhibitions
'Menagerie' National Glass Centre, Sunderland, England Dec-June 2025
DCCI at Collect, London, England Feb 2004
“Animal Rites” Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin, Wales, April-July 2023
“Thinking with Animals” Canton Museum of Art Canton,Ohio, US Nov-Mar 2023
“Into the Woods” Watts Gallery Surrey, England Sep-Oct 2022
Craft Scotland at COLLECT, London, England, Feb 2022
“Thinking with Animals” NCECA2021 Virtual Exhibition March2021
“Minature Menagerie” The Scottish Gallery Edinburgh, Scotland, Dec 2020
“L’Animal dans l’Art” Gallerie du Don, Aveyron, France June-Aug 2020
“Particle and Wave” Paperclay Illuminated June 2019-2021 - Touring exhibition:
- Arizona State University
- Daum Museum
- Nora Eccles Harrison Museum
- Fuller Museum June 2019-2021
“Urban Parallel” A celebration of ceramics in Scotland, March 2019
- Artistry, Bloomington, USA
- NCECA, Minneapolis, USA
Archie Bray Foundation NCECA, Minneapolis, USA, March 2019
Ceramics Ireland International Ceramics Festival, Killkenny, Ireland, Sept 2018
Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, USA, June-Aug 2018
“About Clay” ONOMA, The Copper Smithy, Fiskars, Finland, May-Sept 2018
Keramiekcentrum Tiendschuur, The Netherlands, April-Sept 2018
Craft Scotland at COLLECT, London, England, Feb 2018
“Touchstone” National Design & Craft Gallery, Killkenny, Ireland, Nov-Jan 17/18
Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany, Nov-Dec 2017
“Narratives in Making” National Design & Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland, May-July 2017
“Cats Cats Cats” Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin, Wales, July-Sep 2017
Farmleigh House, Dublin, Ireland, June-Sept 2017
Galerie du Don, Aveyron, France, Jun-Aug 2017
Fly 2016 VAS, RSA, Edinburgh, Dec 2016
Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin, Wales, Nov-Feb 2017
Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton, England, Feb-May 2016
Craft in the Bay Cardiff, Wales, March-May 2016
Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Germany, Feb-June 2016
Selected at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland, Nov-Dec 2014
Keramikmuseum Westerwald, Germany, Dec-Jan 13/14
CraftScotland at SOFA Chicago, USA, Nov 2013
Selected at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland, Nov-Dec 2013
Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool, England, Jun 2013
Billcliffe Gallery Glasgow, Scotland, May 2013
Ceramic Art London 2013, London, Apr 2013
'Future Beauty?', National Craft Gallery of Ireland Kilkenny, Ireland, Jan 2013
National Craft Gallery of Ireland at COLLECT 2012, London, May 2012
Ceramic Art London 2012, London, Mar 2012
European Makers Gallery Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sep 2011
Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin, Wales, Jun-Sep 2011
'Brandpunt Terra 2011' Galerie Terra Delft, Netherlands, Apr 2011
Ceramic Art London 2011, London, Feb 2011
The Harley Gallery, Nottingham, England, Aug 2010
Ceramic Art London 2010, London, Feb 2010
WVK Kunststipendium, Bernburg, Germany, Oct 2004
Talente 2003, Munich, Germany, Mar 2003
Permanent
Canterbury Museum, Canterbury, England
Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, Montana, USA
Hunt Museum, Limerick, Ireland
Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri, USA
Awards
Craft Potters Association, Charitable Trust Fund Award, Feb 2023
Inches Carr Trust, Established Maker Bursary, Dec 2022
Creative Scotland, Open project funding, Jan 2019
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Rudy Autio Development Grant, Aug 2018
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, 2018 Sage Scholarship, April 2018
Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, Irish Craft Portfolio Critical Selection, 2017-2018
Visual Arts Scotland, Richard Coley Award for Sculpture, Dec 2016
Creative Scotland, Creative Development Grant, May 2015
Inches Carr Trust Award, Craft Bursary, May 2014
Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, Irish Craft Portfolio Critical Selection, 2012-2013
Creative Scotland, Creative Development Grant, Aug 2010
Scottish Arts Council, Individual Development Grant, Feb 2003
Scottish Arts Council Apr, Setting Up Grant, 2001,
New Designers, Highly Commended Award, Jul 2000,
CPA Charitable Trust Fund Award, Wildlife drawing and research in Kenya, Jan 2000
Edinburgh College of Art, Andrew Grant Post Graduate Scholarship, Jun 1999,
Edinburgh College of Art, Helen A Rose Bequest, Jun 1999,
Edinburgh College of Art, Andrew Grant Travel Bequest, Aug 1996,
Residencies
“Shift Canada” Applied Arts Scotland and Dr. Sandra Alfoldy Craft Institute, NSCAD Halifax, Oct 2019
Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Jun-Sept 2018
Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales, Nov 2015
Kreissparkasse, Bernberg, Germany, Jun-Oct 2004
Edinburgh Zoo, Jan-Sep 2002
Publications
Homesand Antiques Special Edition (Pages 31-33), Aug 2025
'Particle and Wave' Paperclay Illuminated catalogue, June 2018
Homesand Interiors Scotland “On the Make”, Jan 2018
“Touchstone” catalogueCeramics Ireland, June 2017
“Narratives in the making” catalogue NDCOI Portfolio CS, May 2017
Ceramic Review (Page 11) “A sense of family”, Mar 2016
Susan O’Byrne “Five sisters and a family tree”, Ruthin Craft Centre, Sept 2015
Additions to Clay Bodies Kathleen Standen, 2013
Sculpting and Hand building Claire Loder, 2013
Irish Craft Portfolio Catalogue, Aug 2012
AD Architectural Digest GER, Jun 2012
Keramiek NL (Pages 14-15), Jun 2011
Brandpunt Terra 2011 Catalogue, April 2011
Ceramic Review UK (Pages 28-33) feature article, Mar 2011
Ceramics with Mixed Media Joy Bosworth, Aug 2006
Crafts UK Look Out (Pages 32-33), Jan 2002
Homes and Interiors Scotland UK (Page 61), Autumn 2000
Ceramic Review UK (Pages 42-43), May 2000
Homes and Interiors Scotland UK Autumn, 1999
Teaching
Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland, 2000-2003
West Lothian College, Livingston, Scotland, 2001-2004
Project Ability, Glasgow, 2003-2009
ArtLink Central, Stirling, 2004-2009
Glasgow Ceramics Studio, Scotland, 2004-2009
Lectures/Demonstrations/Masterclasses
Crawford College of Art (visiting lecturer), Nov 2022
West Country Potters (virtual demonstration), Nov 2022
ICCC lecture in association with The Hunt Museum and Limerick College of Art and Design, March 2022
South Wales Potters (virtual demonstration), March 2021
Office for the Arts at Harvard (virtual demonstration), Sept 2020
Office for the Arts at Harvard, Boston, USA Lecture, Oct 2019
NSCAD University, Halifax, Canada, Lecture and demonstration, Oct 2019
NCECA, Minneapolis, USA, “Urban Parallel” Ceramics from Glasgow Scotland,
Panel Discussion, March 2019
Artistry, Bloomington, USA, Lecture demonstration and masterclass, March 2019
Ceramics Ireland International Festival, Lecture and demonstration, Sept 2018
Cork Society of Potters, Ireland, Lecture, demonstration and masterclass, Aug 2017
Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales, Lecture, demonstration and masterclass, May 2016
Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales, Lecture and demonstration, Aug 2015
Scottish Potters, Kindrogan, Scotland, Lecture and demonstrations, April 2014
Ceramic Art London, Lecture, Feb 2011
Arts Management
Partner at Glasgow Ceramics Studio, 2008 to present
Managing Director of Glasgow Ceramics Studio, 2014 to present
Memberships
Portfolio, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland
Professional Member of the Craft Potters Association, London
Contemporary Applied Arts, London
Applied Arts Scotland