Last restock of the year and fantastic project!
December News
Christmas seems just around the corner and thus far I have survived the endless Black Friday sales and Christmas shopping emails, only to add to them it seems! I have finished up some new stock and added to the online store. I have added some pairs as well as mismatch sets and new layered pieces feature, do have a look if you are interested, they go live at 8pm BST https://www.stuartcairnsmaker.com .
The other big news I’d like to talk about is this picture- I am with the other 15 makers selected to take part in an exciting project working with The National Museums Scotland and the National Museums Northern Ireland. We met in Edinburgh last week as the first step in this project to respond to the Museums’ early peoples collections, exploring the shared heritage we have between the two places through making and materiality. Over 160 makers applied so I feel incredibly lucky to be joining this group of incredible makers who range from Book Binders, Ceramicists to Vellum makers, glass workers and jewellers. I’m still taking in all we saw and discussed over the two days, with a viewing of the National Museums Scotland Collection archive and a tour of the the early peoples exhibit in the museum itself. On top of which getting to meet and chat with a bunch of fantastic fellow makers. The results of this will be shown at the end of 2026 but I’ll share more when I write again in January.
I hope 2026 has been kind to you, thank you so much for taking the time to read this, your support throughout the year means the world, so thank you again. I hope you have a great Christmas, may the New Year greet you well!
See you in January,
all the best
Stu
Winter comes.. open studio and more news
Winter seems to have arrived in the last few days, the years end suddenly in sight and still so much to do.
First up I have my open studio coming on Saturday the 29th of November, 2pm to 6.30pm at my workshop in Helens Bay, it’s down the right hand side of my aunts house in the old garages. I’ll have jewellery, original art and illustrations for sale as well as a peek at my working workshop. Do pop in for a chat if you are free and in the area. The online shop will be updated on the 9th of December at 8pm so keep an eye out for that! I’ll also be at the Steiner School Advent fair in Holywood on the 7th, very handy if you are local! You can sign up here to get notified when the online shop updates .
I have been busy, last week I gave an informal talk about my work as part of the RUA’s artists spot light series for their 144th Annual Exhibition at the Ulster Museum. There was a school group getting a tour so I had a larger audience than expected, hopefully the found it interesting enough and maybe for thinking about how and with what you can make art.
Amongst all this I’m developing new work and investigating different methods of presenting the pieces . I have some big plans for next year one of which is a renewal of my website which is long overdue as well as a few other things that I’ll talk about in the next newsletter.
Thanks for reading amid the Black Friday deluge!
Stu.
August Craft Month and an open studio
August has arrived and with it Craft Month is here and it seems busier than ever. This year I’m taking the opportunity to once again open my workshop for a studio sale on Saturday the 9th of August from 2pm to 6pm. The studio can be found Here , 69 Craigdarragh Road , Helen’s Bay and is down the right hand side of the driveway at the old garages at the back of the house. Parking is limited so car share if you can and I’ll not mind if you there’s bit early too. My original drawings and paintings , both framed and unframed will be available, my sculptural jewellery range and my Upwards and Over illustration ranges will be on sale. I’ll be there for a chat and you can see some of my objects and the inner workings of my workshop . Hope you can make it .
In addition to this is m delighted to have a set featuring in Unbound at Craft NI which opens on the 7th of August at 5pm. The August exhibition is an excellent, selected show, displaying some of the wealth of Irish making talent and I’m always delighted to get the chance to show there along side so many brilliant makers.
Further from that I’ll be restocking the jewellery shop in early September, I’ll update closer to the time , and should be adding paintings/drawings too. I’m sending some work down to the O’Connell Gallery in Clonakilty in the next few weeks, more news about that closer to the time, but delighted to get the chance to show with Stephen after a few false starts on my part!
Full details of what’s going on in August Craft month can be found Here.
All the best
Stu.
Returning .. exhibitions and explanations..
This update has been a long time coming, lots going on so I thought I’d better get back to it!
First a quick explanation- in the last year and a half, two years my partner and I have sold a house, bought a house, renovated the house and started creating a garden together. All change, a transformed life so it has taken me a while to find my creative rhythm again. Also the changes to social media have been disheartening to say the least, it seems everything gets buried in algorithms and overwhelm. So I’m renewing my approach, I’m considering writing a more regular Substack with a more journal feel and will be posting updates more regularly.
On to news..
Currently I have new work in Spoonful- an exhibition in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. I was delighted to be invited to show by Lucy Woodley, a show all about spoons and in Scotland- how could I not be!
I made a new series of work, adding to a few existing pieces and sent them a series of seven using combinations of found and gathered materials, predominantly sea plastic, in combination with silver and steel elements. Go and see the full set! I’m really pleased with how they turned out and thanks again to Lucy for the invite!
Next up I have a jewellery store restock on Thursday the 3rd of July at 8pm. There will be stud and drop earring sets, some singles and perhaps a few pendants. I’ll put some preview photos up on Instagram and in a July update here. Limited Illustration jewellery is available on Upwards and Over but the sculptural jewellery is more limited availability.
Recently I’ve left a pair of large Hinterlands landscape paintings into The Yard Gallery in n Holywood, these were completed in March, I really enjoyed returning to that scale.
Finally I have an open studio as part of August Craft month, 9th of August and will have jewellery, drawings, paintings and illustration work available as well as my objects, more details closer to the time. Additionally I’m preparing some works to show at the O’Connell Gallery in Clonakikty, Cork for August, again super pleased to be sending work to Stephen, watch this space for a sneak peek.
Lots of applications in process and making new works in various mediums, so more news soon ! If/when Substack happens if you have subbed to this blog I will have copied you into the mailing list, apologies for the presumption, feel free to unsubscribe!
Thanks for reading, next update in July!
All the best , Stuart
Fife, Somerset and Island exhibitions ..
After a period of relative silence work is back with a bang. Between selling and moving house I have been working away creating new pieces for exhibition and now they are ready to go out into the world. Currently I have a selection of vessels and jewellery showing at the Tatha Gallery in Fife in the wonderful Slow Praxis exhibition, co-curated by David Cass featuring a range of artists “who each respond to their deep connections to their chosen subjects through thoughtful processes, deep exploration and the need to fully immerse themselves in space and time”. Delighted to be selected to show in such a wonderful gallery, the exhibition continues until the 7th of October.
Walking the Wild opens on the 23rd of September until November 18th at Make Hauser & Wirth. I’m delighted to be showing my vessels, objects and structures alongside Mark Reddy’s fantastic spoons/implements.
“Artist makers, Stuart Cairns and Mark Reddy are modern day gatherers and story tellers; each of their working processes are enmeshed in a deep sense of place and unique visual language. The exhibition ‘Walking the Wild’ presents works that are found, foraged and reframed, sculptural forms that hold time and mediative memory , echoing the past and questioning the present.”
Finally “What Was Seen, What was Found There” opens on the 7th of October, 2.30-4.30 pm at the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn. In this solo show I will be exhibiting a selection of paintings and sculptural works exploring and evoking a sense of some imaged place, out past the edges, on fringes half forgotten, waiting to be rediscovered.
Hope if any of these shows are in your area you take the chance to see them or check them out online.
I will be posting again more regularly as I get back into the swing of things…
August Craft Month- Open Studio and more..
August Craft month has well and truly started and it seems like a good time to get caught up. My contribution this year is taking part in two group exhibitions, an artist talk and an open studio at the end of the month.
It’s been a strange old year as for most of it I’ve had a bit of creative exhaustion after pushing hard with work through the pandemic. Although I’ve still been making, painting and creating it’s been a bit of a struggle but now I’m feeling I’m getting back into the flow of things properly.
As part of this I’m having an open studio on Saturday the 27th of August, 12pm- 6pm at 69 Craigdarragh Road, Helens Bay, County Down, Northern Ireland . My studio is at my aunt and uncles house there and the studio is located at the old garages down the right hand side of the house. I’ll be showing jewellery, original paintings, silversmithing objects and my illustration work in prints and cards and be happy to talk about what I do and how I do it.
Last Thursday night Craft NI’s Craft Showcase exhibition opened, with guest curator Daniella Wells in attendance. I was delighted to have a set of pieces – Sprung Vessel and Spoon selected for inclusion and even more pleased to come away with a prize for Highly Commended work. Especially pleasing given the quality of maker I was showing beside. It’s an excellent show and I’d recommend a visit, there os also the chance to see Northern Ireland’s selected Craft Heroes as well with works by Michael McCrory, Seliena Coyle, Jack Doherty, Cara Murphy and Alison Lowry in the gallery.
Finally for now I also have a series of Hinterlands structures in Adornment at R-Space Gallery in Lisburn with the ACJSNI collective. It’s a jewellery based show investigating our connection and relationship with linen through material language, historic investigation and process. Nine makers from different backgrounds are showing with a really strong, broad range of work. Contact the gallery for further details as there are artists talks, and a workshop available.
I’ll be updating my online stores in the coming weeks and I’ll keep you up to date with further irregular news letters. Thanks for reading , Stu.
MakingConversations Podcast
Art Of Gathering
This September I’m taking part in the Art of Gathering exhibition at the New Craftsman Gallery, curated by Sarah Frangelton in St.Ives. A selection of my utensils, vessels and jewellery will be shown alongside the work of Joe Hogan, Forest & Found, Annemarie O’Sullivan, Patricia Shone, Michael Porter and Francesca Owen. The exhibition runs from the 14th of September to the 12th of October and I will be giving an artists talk as part of the St.Ives Festival on the 19th of September at 1pm in the St.Ives Art Club.
Further details can be found in the stunning online catalogue accompanying the exhibition which can be found here.
Current and upcoming Exhibitions.
I currently have work in a number of shows, with a few more confirmed in the months ahead.
Blackthorn Pouring Vessel features in the European Silversmiths Forum [HammerClub] exhibition Renewal in Dock Street Studios, Dundee until the 30th of June. It will then show at Elements: A Festival of Gold and Silver in Edinburgh in November 2019.
Appetites and Objects in The Baltimore Jewelry Center in the US has a series of my utensils, From The Other Place shown alongside work by Corey Ackelmire, Jackie Andrews, Hannah Brill, Kristy Bujanic, Jeffrey Clancy, David Clarke, David Harper Clemons, Erin Daily, Lucy Derickson, Anastasia Green, Kaminer Haislip, Nils Hint, Jessica Howerton, John Williams Huckins, Zouella Jarman, Rachel Kedinger, Elliot Keeley, Jaydan Moore, Alejandra Salinas, Amy Weiks & Gabriel Craig of Smith Shop, Brian Weissman, Adam Whitney, and Logan Woodle.
Exhibition dates: June 7 – July 12, 2019
A Last Sitting [for a Fisherman] has been selected for the Coast exhibition in An Talla Solais in Ullapool, Scotland. The exhibition has work by 20 artists, which will be shown 10 at a time, the exhibition rotating the works after two weeks.The show runs from 20th July, to 8th September.
Land[ed] opens in the Lavit Gallery, Cork for August Craft Month. A series of my vessels and utensils will show alongside Joe Hogan (basketry), Alan Meredith (woodwork), Mourne Textiles (wall hangings), and ceramics from Elaine Riordan and Simon Kidd.
Finally I will be showing vessels, utensils and jewellery at the New Craftsman Gallery in St.Ives for Gathering – an exhibition featuring Forest + Found, Joe Hogan, Annemarie O’Sullivan, Adam Buick and painter Michael Porter.
The exhibition will open on the 13th September, running throughout the St Ives Arts Festival from 14th – 28th September and then will be extended until 12th October.
Retracing Nature at Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset.
Retracing Nature is a two person show opening on the 8th of February at Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset, I am showing a new series of vessels alongside utensils with Ceramicist Adam Buick.
“Stuart Cairns is a contemporary metalsmith using the forms of silversmithing objects, of dining and ritual, as places to explore materials and tell stories. The visual language created emerges from his immersion in landscape whether through walking, wild swimming, photography, drawing or gathering. Utilising found objects and materials collected on walks through his local landscape, combined with steel and patinated silver, Cairns creates unique, small forms, intimate in nature, translating elements of this personal journey. With this collection, conceived for Make, Cairns returns to vessel forms, set alongside the shapes of utensils and tools, acting as physical representations of a lived landscape, alive with memory.
Objects are drawn out of the natural lines of grasslands and wetlands, combining with the marks of skeletal boat hulls, shattered jetties and fragmented fence lines, to summon a sense of the land, of a past and of our place within it. Structures are formed of found objects and precious and base metals, sitting in series and sets, as if in remembrance of a previous function and forgotten personal rituals.
This body of works can be seen as a series of visual poetry. Half sketched, traced with touches of making, these vessels and implements reflect a fleeting experience; of people passing through as the landscape endures.
This work was made possible through the Support of the Individual Artist Programme by the Arts Council for Northern Ireland.
Stuart Cairns 