Anna Smyth – Artist of the Month, April 2022

Anna Smyth is a ceramicist who lives and works in County Down. She developed an interest in ceramics in the 1990’s and went on to gain a Frist Class Honours Degree in Contemporary Applied Arts, specialising in Ceramics, at Ulster University’s Belfast School of Art. Anna works in porcelain, producing contemporary sculptural works that express inner responses to thoughts and experiences, and which carry personal meaning or significance. Anna’s bespoke work is showcased at creative outlets both locally and nationally.

‘Linen Legacy’ is part of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s collection. It comprises of ten unique pieces or ‘mill workers’, which are part of a wider series of works reflecting Anna’s interest and family history in the linen industry. Grouped together, the pieces are reminiscent of groups of local mill workers, as seen on photographic archives, demonstrating a modest pride in identity, community and endeavour. Two of the pieces bear the words of mill songs that Anna’s Grandmother sang to her as a child.

Further information about Anna and her work can be found at www.annasmythceramics.com