Deborah Watkins exhibition Canticle of Creatures opens at Limerick City Museum

Canticle of Creatures exhibition by artist Deborah Watkins hosted by Dr Matthew Potter, Limerick Museum, Henry Street and curated by Maurice Quinlivan. Picture: Keith Wiseman

Limerick Museum launches ‘Canticle of Creatures’ exhibition of ceramics by contemporary artist Deborah Watkins

Contemporary artist, Deborah Watkins has launched her latest exhibition, ‘Canticles of Creature’, a series of ceramic works inspired by an artefact from the Limerick City Museum collection.

The artefact is a tiny 15th to 16th-century bronze spigot used to dispense liquid, like oil or vinegar, from a container such as a barrel. The show brings a mixture of ceramic sculptures, vessels, and tiles by Deborah, bringing a gleam of colour to the city centre museum.

Deborah Watkins studied craft design at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Her chosen speciality was ceramics and she graduated with a first-class honours degree (B.Des.) in 1991 and a diploma in Art Education (H.Dip.Ed.) two years later.

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She moved to Connemara in the early 1990s and operated her own pottery studio in Clifden for several years. Deborah began painting in 2008 and her landscapes are strongly influenced by the colours and textures of her earlier career. Deborah’s work attempts to describe the drama and ever-changing atmosphere that is present in the landscape and coastline of Connemara.

Deborah has returned to ceramics in 2020. She is making a range of hand built ‘ceramic landscapes’ which can be displayed flat or hung on a wall. These are treated much like paintings, so each one is unique. 

Deborah shares her excitement about the show, saying the exhibition is the outcome of “a year of creative development and commitment to the project”.

She said, “I recognised an energy in my chosen artefact that I have sought to bring to the work. I carry my own stories as well, so imaginary creatures and habitats are thrown into the mix. It is my hope that visitors will pick up on this energy when they experience the show.’’

Dr Matthew Potter, Curator of Limerick Museum, said the exhibition gives a “glimpse into Deborah’s interior world”.

He noted, “She was invited to develop a series of ceramics inspired by an artefact from the Limerick City Museum collection. The artefact is a tiny bronze spigot (tap) from the 15th-16th centuries, which was used to dispense liquid, like oil or vinegar, from a container such as a barrel. The show is a striking miscellany of ceramic sculptures, vessels and tiles. Gleaming colour accentuates its exuberant character and otherworldliness.’’

Admission is free and the exhibition will be on display in Limerick Museum until 30th November. Limerick Museum is situated in the Old Franciscan Friary on Henry. The Museum is open to the public Monday to Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm; Saturday 10.00am-1.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.00pm.