About the Artist

Liam Flynn lives in County Limerick, Ireland, where his family has worked as wood craftsmen for generations.  Flynn has been turning wood for more than 14 years and in this time, has won many awards and international recognition. 

He was born in 1969 and his skills are largely self-taught.

About the Work

Though Flynn uses oak, ash and sycamore for his pieces, he especially favors oak. Its resilience and strength are especially suited to the thin walled vessels that are his signature. These oak pieces are often “ebonized,” by staining the wood with iron, a process that exploits the natural tannins in the wood. The effect of the blackening serves to accentuate the form of his pieces.

Flynn turns his vessels while the wood is still green so that while the wood dries, it warps and the vessels assume their own shape. He turns bowls, footed vessels and a group he calls, “inner rimmed vessels.” These are carved and turned, yielding inner and outer “collars” around the opening.  This creates the appearance of a delicacy not often associated with wood.

Selected Exhibitions

2007 Collect, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
2006 Carlin Gallery, Paris, France
Collect, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
2005 Innovations, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
2004 Art Vessels, Plateaus Gallery, solo exhibit
2001 The National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
2000 Sotheby’s Decorative Arts auction offering

Awards

2001
Royal Dublin Society, First Prize Turned Wood      
Crafts Council of Ireland Award

Collections

Limerick City Art Gallery
Royal Dublin Society
Woodtruning Center, Philadelphia, PA