Bookbinder recognised at Future Makers awards

ÉILÍS Murphy, a bookbinder from Ballyhaunis, has been announced as one of the recipients of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland’s (DCCoI) Future Makers Awards and supports programme for 2019.

Future Makers is one of Europe’s largest prize-funded award programmes for students and emerging makers and a total of €25,000 was awarded to 23 designers and craftspeople this year.

The announcement took place at an awards ceremony in The Westbury, Dublin, which was officially opened by fashion designer, educator and former Future Makers winner Natalie B. Coleman. The certificates were presented to the recipients on the night by DCCoI chair Breege O’Donoghue.

In the Emerging Maker category, Éilís Murphy was awarded Studio Support (€1,000).

Acknowledging the importance of awarding traditional craft talent, the judges commented that her work is ‘highly skilled and beautifully finished.’

Éilís, now based in Corofin, Co. Clare, said: “The beauty of bookbinding for me is that I can use traditional techniques that remain unchanged for centuries, but combined with a contemporary design and my own artistic innovation.”

More information about her business is available at www.foldedleaf.ie.

Divided into student/recent graduate and emerging maker categories, the Future Makers Awards and supports programme recognises and rewards vision, innovation and excellence in both making and the creative process and is one of several DCCoI initiatives supporting a new generation of talent in the design and craft sector.

Future Makers 2019 received the highest number of entries to date with 214 applications submitted and assessed through a formal judging process.