Kevin O’Dwyer

A Sparkling Party
Selected wo r ks i n S i l v e r

e b l a n a g allery
Kevin O’Dwyer | A Sparkling Party
Selecte d w ork s in Silver
 elEanor flegg | A Sparkling Party
kevin O’Dwyer’s artwork in silver is light of touch and
light of heart; the stuff of which museum collections are made.
Angular forms combine with flowing forms, playing off against
each other. A little triangular Sauceboat curls its handle in the air
like the tail of a cartoon mouse, while a Vessel in silver and gold
applies the same airy curl to a more dignified sculptural form.
O’Dwyer has an affinity with the sculptural interpretation of
mundane household items, but especially with teapots. His Party
Teapot abandons itself to a wild coiffeur of silver, like the wedding
headdress of an old lady with more money than sense, while a self
contained Rocking Teapot balances quietly on a curved base, made
from a continuation of its handle.
O’Dwyer’s pieces carry their often extraordinary forms with
the same assurance with which a snail carries its shell. A crazy
arrangement if you think about it, but part of a lovely and integral
visual balance. O’Dwyer can do sober too, with an austere and
architectural Coffee Service without a curve in sight. His textured
and patterned surfaces, which do interesting things with reflected
light, are the antithesis of the usual high polish of silver. Pattern
has been a significant element of his work over time, initially
in response to the patterned tin roofs of Georgia, where he was
working as an artist in residence in the early 1980s, and the way
in which they contributed to the interplay of light within the
landscape. He researched the traditional patterning of silver,
which harks back to the great rolling mills of nineteenth-century
silver manufacturing workshops of Birmingham where a pattern
was engraved on steel and then printed repeatedly on vast sheets
of silver. The bases of embellished trays were rolled out of the press
in sheets, in the manner of the printed textiles of the same era.
It was, he explains, a matter of discovering how patterning
could be used for unique contemporary pieces. Eventually he
achieved the result that he required, using a photo etching tech-
nique, which has been applied to the Architectural Coffee Service
with its elongated bog yew handles and the Cityscape series of
salt and pepper shakers. His repetitive patterns are inspired
by nature and the traditional patterns of Japan’s Edo period (1603-
1868), which were used on textiles for ceremonial kimonos.
The combination of pattern and high polish create a dramatic
Teapot, architectural series
Forged, fabricated and patterned sterling silver. Rosewood handle
contrast between surfaces, but is also cognisant of the pragmatic
value of patterning, which does not show fingerprints! O’Dwyer
collaborated with a company, which normally etches computer
boards for industry, to create patterned sheets of silver using
acid resist technique. ‘It was about taking something that was no
longer used and reinventing it in a contemporary manner, taking
a traditional technique and bringing it forward.’ Once patterned,
the sheets of silver can then be formed and fabricated, albeit with
care so that the process of soldering does not mark the surface.
The visual impulsiveness of some of the pieces, resplendent
with curlicues of silver, belies the exactitude with which they are
made. Nowhere is this more obvious than in O’Dwyer’s Landscape
Series of reticulated silver boxes, the architectural forms of which
require a rigorous symmetry that is difficult to achieve in hot
metal. ‘It is difficult,’ he admits, ‘to keep the silver from warping, to
maintain the crispness of line. Bulbous shapes are easier; flowing
forms are more forgiving than straight lines.’
The lids of the boxes are reticulated. This is a surface finish that
gives them the appearance of miniature geographic landscapes
formed in silver, like aerial photographs viewed through a
stereoscope. This effect is created through a process that requires
a fine balance of heat and control. The sterling silver is depleted
of its copper content by a process of alternating heat and acid
treatments, leaving a thin surface layer of fine silver. This, having
a higher melting point than the sterling silver underneath, is
heated until it forms a delicate skin over the molten substrate. Like
cooling lava, the surface buckles and crumples under the tension,
further manipulated by the silversmith who uses a sharp flame to
paint with the silver, working just below the flashpoint.
Reticulation first evolved in the Fabergé studios of Tsarist
Russia. Many of the Fabergé craftsmen were Finns who, when
the studios closed during the Bolshevik revolution, brought the
technique back to Scandinavia. With emigration the technique
spread to America. O’Dwyer, who studied silversmithing in
Chicago in the late 1970s, was introduced to reticulation by the
Finnish metalsmith Heikki Seppa, who had trained with one of
the Fabergé artists and used the process in his own work.
Glass and silver are bedfellows of long standing, but their

companionship to date has been staid and confined to dining table
or sideboard. O’Dwyer has brought the respectable partnership of
glass container with silver stopper into the bedroom, or possibly
the boudoir, in the form of the scent bottle. It is probably fair
to say that the scent bottle, as a household object, is normally
considered to have had its day. But O’Dwyer, employing a certain
amount of audacity, has given this most anachronistic of items
a contemporary outing. ‘Glass, like silver, is a material that can
be manipulated either hot or cold; its surface can be patterned,
laminated, cast, or polished to create strong sensuous forms
or architectural elements,’ he says. ‘The combination of these
materials over the past two centuries has focused on traditional
forms for functional use. I’m looking at a way of taking this pairing
into the twenty-first century’.
With bodies formed of clear glass – aqueous and weighty
– and silver stoppers of the wildest frivolity imaginable, the scent
bottles have an unarguable balance and beauty. They reflect not
only a dialogue between materials – and it seems that glass and
silver have found a fresh topic of conversation – but also a creative
dialogue between artists. The glass shapes evolved in a hot glass
studio in Minneapolis, the product of a collaboration between
O’Dwyer, as silversmith, and the glass artist Andy Shea, who has
been described as one of the godfathers of the American art glass
movement. ‘As artists we have a tendency to work in isolation’
says O’Dwyer. ‘Collaborating with like-minded artists opens up
an opportunity for creative dialogue that pushes the material
and design possibilities. We started with my drawings and his
expertise as a glassmaker – but the forms evolved as we worked
with the molten glass – there’s always an element of surprise.’
Probably because of its value, silver has historically been treated
with ponderous seriousness, leaving its traditional manifestations
– the teapot and the candlestick – ripe for reinvention. O’Dwyer has
devoted the best part of three decades to remapping the geography
of silver, his work demonstrating that neither the price of the raw
material, nor the skill with which it is crafted, need stand in the
way of levity.
rachael Naughton | Eblana Gallery
When Eblana Gallery opened in 2006 our
aim was to represent artists of the highest stand-
ard of design and creativity in their respective
fields of contemporary applied arts. Among the
foremost artists working with silver today is
Kevin O’Dwyer. We were very familiar with his
work, stretching back over nearly thirty years,
and had seen his pieces regularly at exhibitions,
in the press and in private collections. His pieces
display a stunning imagination and creativity in
their unique form and design. Kevin had exhib-
ited all over the world throughout his career but
he had never had a permanent relationship with
a gallery in Dublin and we were delighted when
Kevin agreed to be represented by us.
We have displayed and commissioned a wide
array of Kevin’s individual works as well as his
smaller collections of tableware and jewellery.
Clients who have commissioned one off pieces
have all appreciated the beautiful form and qual-
ity embedded in his unique designs. His pieces
have proved exceptionally popular with our
clients, both life long collectors of silver and
also with a younger generation seeking a more
individual style.
Although Kevin’s work has been featured in
solo exhibitions internationally, this will be his
first solo exhibition in Ireland. It is Eblana’s pleas-
ure to host this outstanding collection of silver-
ware and sculpture and particularly the stunning
new series of hand blown glass and sterling
silver scent bottles that will be the heirlooms of
tomorrow.
for over 25 years my artwork has explored the subtleties of ritual
and imagination. irish prehistoric art, bronze-age artefacts, early
monastic metalwork, 20th century design and architecture are
my creative influences. equipped with this visual vocabulary i
create artefacts that often combine the textured surfaces and
flowing lines of our past with the strong and austere forms of
modern architecture. the ultimate goal is to create a work of art
that is timeless, thought provoking and responsive to the human
spirit. a childhood divided between the rich monastic ruins of
tipperary and the skyscrapers of manhattan has profoundly
influenced my sense of place and the way i approach the creation
of intimate artefacts or site-specific installations.
Candlestick Centrepiece ( Detail shot)
Hand forged sterling silver
Vessel
Hand forged, formed and fabricated sterling silver, scratch
brush finish, 24ct gold plate on sterling silver handle
Salt and Pepper shakers, architectural series
Formed, fabricated and patterned sterling silver
The Ultimate in Sterling
architectural digest, usa

Coffee service
Formed, fabricated, patterned and engraved sterling silver. Bog
Yew handles (carbon dated 4000 years old), glass/silver tray
Party Teapot, the Mardi Gras series
Raised, forged, fabricated sterling silver, scratch brush finish,
Kilkenny limestone base
Vessel, architectural series
Formed, fabricated sterling silver, scratch brush finish, Bog Yew handle.
Scent Bottles
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver, Hand blown glass (Andy Shea)
O’Dwyer’s silverware, teapots and candlesticks are truly dramatic in design.
Each beautiful handcrafted piece defies convention. Indeed, their ambiguity
blurs the boundaries between function, fashion and pure sculpture.
ramez ghazoul | Director, Artizana Gallery, UK

Candlestick Centrepiece
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver
Teapot Scent Bottle
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver, hand blown glass (Andy Shea)
Vessel, architectural series
Formed, fabricated and patterned sterling silver
Kilkenny limestone handle
Landscape Boxes
Hand formed and fabricated sterling silver, reticulated sterling silver tops, scratch brush finish
O’Dwyer’s extravagant teapots have the same confident presence as those
Rocco examples of the eighteenth century that made teatime such a social
and cultural focal point.
helen clifford, curator | 20th Century Silver, British Crafts Council, UK

Rocking Teapot
Hand forged, formed and fabricated sterling silver
Kilkenny limestone base, turned steel pendulum
Coffee pot and creamer
Formed, fabricated, patterned and engraved sterling silver.
Bog Yew handles (carbon dated 4000 years old)
Left: Sauce boat
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver

Right: Party Teapot

Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver,
24ct gold plate on sterling silver handle
Candlestick Centrepiece
Raised, formed and fabricated sterling silver
Kilkenny limestone base
The future of silver is in the hands of modern craftsmen such as Kevin O’Dwyer
who uses the wealth of past experience to forge ahead with new ideas.
elise taylor, curator of silver | The Ulster Museum, Belfast, N. Ireland

Coffee service, architectural series

Formed and fabricated sterling silver
Scratch brush finish, Bog oak handles (carbon dated 4000 years old)
Naughton Institute, Trinty College Dublin
Commissioned by Trinity Foundation
Formed, fabricated and engraved sterling silver,
Formed, fabricated and engraved bronze, Granite base
Kevin J.O’Dwyer
The work of Kevin O’Dwyer is internationally renowned and is
represented in both private and public collections including Nelson
Mandela, King Karl Gustas of Sweden, President Clinton, The Japa-
nese Imperial Family, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The
National Museum of Ireland, The High Museum, Atlanta, The Ulster
Museum, Belfast, Sparta Teapot Museum, N. Carolina, The Racine Mu-
seum of Art, Wisconsin and The Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin.
Although he began his working life in the field of biotechnology,
Kevin O’Dwyer has been a silversmith for 30 years. In the late 1970s,
in Chicago, he began to study metal work at night with Harriet Dries-
sigger. It soon became a passion and he left industry to apprentice
with Bill Frederick, whose modernist work pushed away from the
traditional functionalism of silver, and Heikki Seppa who pioneered
anticlastic raising. O’Dwyer came back to Ireland in 1987. It was not
a buoyant time in Irish economic history. O’Dwyer continued to ex-
hibit overseas in the US, the UK, and in Europe. He has represented
Ireland in over forty international exhibitions including four Silver
Triennials (European Touring exhibitions), Silver as Water (Neth-
erlands), The Art of Dining (Japan), Euro-Fire in the Land of Leige
(European Year of Culture, Belgium), 20th Century Silver (British
Craft Council), Silver and Tea (Goldsmith’s Hall, London), Table Man-
ners (Goldsmith’s Hall, London), Sculpture, Objects and Functional
Art (Chicago and New York), Teapot Treasures (Hudson Valley Mu-
seum, USA), Inspired by Tea, A Loose Interpretation (Celestial Sea-
soning, USA), 30 Silver Articles for 10 Silversmiths ( Italy), Design
for a Changing World (Taiwan), Schmuckszene ‘92 (Germany), Expo
92 (Seville Worlds Fair), International 20th Century Arts Fair (New
York), Spotlight (American Crafts Council touring exhibition), Shell
Structures (SNAG 99 USA), Boca Raton Museum (USA) and Tampa
Museum (USA).
As an artist, O’Dwyer has a singular style and profile, which suc-
ceeded in having him named as one of the 100 most influential Irish
Americans by Irish America magazine in 2007. He received the pres-
tigious Irish Crafts Council Research Bursary Award in 2008, which
provided an opportunity for further research into the development of
his glass and sterling silver series of work. O’Dwyer has been actively
involved in both the arts and heritage since his return to Ireland. As
initiator of the Lough Boora International Sculpture Symposium he
won the prestigious Business2Arts Award in 2003. He established and
directs Sculpture in the Parklands, a sculpture park, which recently
won the National Award for Best Public Sculpture. He conceived and
directed Stories from a Sacred Landscape, a book that looks at the
monastic sites and artwork of County Offaly and he has curated the
exhibitions Wild Geese, The Irish in America, which looks at the art-
work of 20 Irish American craftsperson’s and Peatlands. He has been
a board member of the Cultural Relations Committee of Ireland, the
Sculptor’s Society of Ireland, Visual Artists Ireland and the Crafts
Council of Ireland. O’Dwyer’s work has been featured in Ireland’s
Treasures, 5000 years of Artistic Expression by Dr. Peter Harbison
(Beaux Arts Editions), Destination Art by Amy Dempsey, The Craft of
Silversmithing (Lark Books), 500 Vessels (Lark Books) Teapots, Mak-
ers and Collectors by Donna Meilach (Schiffer Press), The Eyes of Ire-
land (Liffey Press) and Teapots Transformed by Leslie Ferrin (Guild
Publishing).
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2010 Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland
2008 Eblana Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Pratt Fine Arts Centre, Seattle, USA
2005 Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland
2004 Slidell Cultural Centre, Louisiana, USA.
The J. Cotter Gallery, Vail, Colorado, U.S. A.
2002 Hibernia, Neptune Beach, Florida, U.S. A.
2000 The J. Cotter Gallery, Vail, Colorado, U.S. A.
Hibernia, Atlantic Beach, Florida, U.S. A.
1999 Espace Paul Ricard, Paris, France
The Ulster Museum, Belfast, N. Ireland
Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland
1998 The J. Cotter Gallery, Vail, Colorado, U.S. A.
The J. Cotter Gallery, Beaver Creek, Colorado, U.S. A.
1996 Hibernia, Atlanta, U.S. A.
1994 Schneider Gallery, Chicago, U.S. A.
Artizana Gallery, Prestbury, England
1992 Henri Bendel, New York and Chicago, U.S. A.
1991 Hibernia; Atlantic Beach, Florida, U.S. A.
1987 Boyton Beach Gallery; Florida, U.S. A.
1986 Artistic Ventures; Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S. A.
1984 Complete Accessories; Winnetka, IL, U.S. A.
1983 Mazur-Mazur Gallery; Deerfield; IL, U.S. A.
SELECTED PERMANENT, CORPORATE AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin
The Ulster Museum; Belfast, N. Ireland
The High Museum, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. A.
Racine Museum of Art, Wisconsin, U.S. A.
Sparta Teapot Museum, North Carolina, USA
The Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin, Ireland
Governor’s Palace, Liege, Belgium
Swiss Embassy; Beijing, China Mr. Tony O’Malley, Ireland
Espace Paul Ricard, Paris, France
Swiss Embassy; Paris, France Dr. Brian Kennedy, N. Ireland
Kamm Teapot Foundation, USA
Papal Nuncio, Ireland Mr. Eddie Jordan, Ireland
Celestial Seasonings Teapot Collection, U.S. A.
Egyptian Embassy, Ireland Mary Harney, Ireland
Sculpture in the Parklands, Ireland
University of Georgia; Columbus, Georgia, U.S. A. Liam Neeson, Ireland/U.S. A.
President Nelson Mandela, South Africa Georgia State Building; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. A. Ciaran MacGonigal, Ireland
King Juan Carlos, Spain Stolichany Bank, Moscow, Russia Bertie Ahern, Ireland
The Imperial Family, Japan Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Norway Linda and Chris Ferenscik, USA
King Carl Gustas, Sweden AIB, Ireland
President Mitterrand, France Ulster Bank, Ireland
President Bill Clinton, U.S. Accenture, Ireland
Vice President Al Gore, U.S. A. Irish Distillers Limited, Ireland
Mrs. Hilary Weston, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Canada “Student Enterprise Award” Forbairt, Ireland
Jean Kennedy-Smith, U.S. A. “Grand Prix Trophy”, Eurovision Song Contest
Sir William Deane, Governor General of Australia Mr. Gordon Lambert, Ireland
Dr. Charles Hummel, Swiss Ambassador, Ireland Carmel and Martin Naughton, Ireland
Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland The Edge (U2), Ireland
European Coordination of Film Festivals, Brussels, Belgium Mr. David Kingston, Ireland
Dublin Airport Authority, Ireland
Business to Arts, Ireland
Irish Embassy, Japan
 Catalogue forward: Eleanor Flegg
Photography: James Fraher, Kevin O’Dwyer
Design: Oonagh Young, Design HQ

All designs are the copyright of Kevin J. O’Dwyer. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form by any electronic means, including photocopying, recording,
or information storage and retrieval without the permission of the artist.

Further information on Kevin O’Dwyer can be found at

www.millennium2000silver.com.

Catalogue published by Eblana Gallery

Eblana Gallery is a contemporary applied arts gallery located in Dublin’s city centre.
The gallery concentrates on exhibiting the work of artists and jewellers who create
in ceramics, wood, textiles, glass, bronze, silver and gold. Eblana opened in July
2006 with the aim of showcasing new work created by Ireland’s leading contem-
porary applied artists, through regular group and solo exhibitions. We have also
introduced applied artists from Europe and further a-field to the Irish market.
We arrange commissions of work with all of the artists we represent and source
contemporary artwork for those collectors looking for a unique piece.

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t: +353 678 8941 e: info@eblanagallery.ie www.eblanagallery.ie