Sarah has made Irish pottery and homewares in her workshop in Bridge Street Studios, an artist’s collective nestled within a 250-year-old stone grain store in Dundalk, Co Louth, for over two decades.
“I make pottery and wall art from beautiful soft slabs of clay impressed with textured wallpaper and stamped with words. I love nostalgia and sentimentality; you can see that in all my work. I want these pieces to give daily reminders of the good things in your life. My pieces are the sum of many small details, the textures impressed into each slab of clay, the simple line drawings, the text imprinted with hot metal letterpress typeface, the wash of colours – some pieces also include 18ct gold lustre.”
“I make pottery and wall art from beautiful soft slabs of clay impressed with textured wallpaper and stamped with words. I love nostalgia and sentimentality; you can see that in all my work. I want these pieces to give daily reminders of the good things in your life. My pieces are the sum of many small details, the textures impressed into each slab of clay, the simple line drawings, the text imprinted with hot metal letterpress typeface, the wash of colours – some pieces also include 18ct gold lustre.”
Sarah believes in creating reminders that anchor positive feelings every day. From inspiring quotes to sentimental lyrics, her ceramics are adorned with messages that tug at the heartstrings and evoke smiles. She impresses patterns and text into clay, forming a unique combination that conveys sentiments without uttering a word. Each piece links memories and sentiment to modern, functional forms, transforming everyday objects into cherished gifts and future heirlooms.
“In my commitment to sustainability, I’ve made strides to reduce packaging impact. Our plastic-free, recycled, and fully recyclable packaging reflects the ethos of pieces meant for everyday use. You’ll find honeycomb paper replacing traditional bubble wrap, plain brown boxes, and paper. Plus, I started drawing little houses on the parcels when I couldn’t get my stickers during lockdown 1.0 and I love them so they stayed, I hope you love them too!”
Sarah’s pieces are designed to withstand the test of time, ensuring they become cherished by future generations with minimal environmental impact. In a world where conscious consumerism matters, She understands the importance of provenance and sustainability.
“Every now and again, I get to make work for exhibitions; these pieces usually stretch my ideas and my making. Most recently, I have explored emotions and memories through the human figure.”
Sarah McKenna Ceramics is true small-batch pottery, each piece starting from a bag of wet clay. Everything is made in Bridge Street Studios by Sarah and production assistant Avril. Our small team is helped out by Finn, who loves to glaze and adds a little muscle and height to the team.
Thank you to all my customers and supporters, each like, comment, referral and purchase makes me smile and helps me keep the wheels turning.
Sarah’s Story
Sarah McKenna has been developing her unique handmade Irish pottery at Bridge Street Studios since 1999. Before returning to Dundalk she studied Ceramics at Duncan of Jordonstone College of Art & Design, the University of Dundee, Scotland where she gained a Bachelor of Ceramic Design.
Sarah’s work has always been engaged in the process, and In 2006, Sarah started producing a range of textured and pattern ceramics giftware, which is the beginning of what you can purchase today.
When not in her 250-year-old studio space, she is a mother of two boys and wife to a hairy musician. In her “spare time” she is a Scout Leader in her home town of Dundalk.
