National Sculpture Factory

Repousse workshop with Eva Lynch - Saturday 20th June. Book here - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/repousse-with-eva-lynch-tickets-1989904647367

Learn the art of shaping copper in relief using hammers and punches. Repoussé is a decorative technique whereby three-dimensional relief designs are formed by raising the metal from the reverse. This is accomplished using hand punches and hammers on metal that has been placed into a bed of material that will yield to pressure, such as pitch. Repoussé is frequently paired with the technique of chasing - a process where the front surface of a metal object is decorated by indenting the metal without cutting or engraving the surface.

📸 The Story Bowl, Eva Lynch and Kevin Lynch, National Museum of Ireland collection

National Sculpture Factory in collaboration with Bloomers : Visual Art, Literature, Publishing are delivering a series of talks and workshops on Artist-Led Publishing, engaging artists in conversations and discourse.
In each two hour session, topics such as the history and context of artist publishing today, as well as production, sales and distribution, will be covered.

Bloomers is an artist-led publishing collective based in Cork, Ireland – active since 2018, creating books and interdisciplinary projects that highlight Ireland-based artists, writers and activists – sharing unique perspectives on political, cultural, and social issues with the world. Through this expanded publishing approach, Bloomers also support visual artists in integrating publishing into their practice - treating the book as a space for experimentation, dialogue, and public engagement.
NSF is a resource for professional artists that is strategically funded by the Arts Council and supported by Cork City Council, providing a wide range of resources for visual art practice.

This series will be delivered over three sessions at two week intervals between sessions, on:
Dates: 8 June, 22 June & 6 July
Time: 6PM - 8PM
Location: NSF Mezzanine

These are free workshops but spaces are limited and booking is essential. To reserve your place please email [email protected]
Please note: building access for this series will not be available before 5:45. You must sign up for all sessions.

NSF is a workshop and governed by Health & Safety restrictions when visited by professional artists and the general public.

Learn the art of shaping copper in relief using hammers and punches
Saturday 20 June | 9:30 - 5 | €130

Workshop | Repoussé with Eva Lynch at the National Sculpture Factory Learn the art of shaping copper in relief using hammers and punches - in this one-day workshop, we will explore the ancient Bronze Age techniques of chasing and

Repousse workshop with Eva Lynch - Saturday 20th June. Book here - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/repousse-with-eva-lynch-tickets-1989904647367

Meet the artist!
Eva Lynch is a traditional silversmith with a passion for preserving and archiving ancient techniques. Alongside bespoke commissions from her workshop in County Wicklow, she has also taught Silversmithing and Fabrication at Grennan Mill Craft School since 2012 and is currently a tutor on the BA (Hons) Goldsmithing degree course at the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland Academy.
Her current body of work is displayed at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Collins Barracks, Dublin, and includes Story Bowl (photographed above) - a large vessel carved from copper ore - featuring a copper rim that illustrates the story of the vessel’s development through chasing and repoussé vignettes.

To Land: Living Roots Awaken
23 May – 9 August 2026

Crawford Art Gallery and Highlanes Drogheda present a new strategic touring partnership, To Land: Living Roots Awaken, in collaboration with the Artist-Teacher-Researcher Curatorial Group.

NSF artist Nuala O'Donovan's Teasel - Grey Area (pictured above), from Crawford Art Gallery’s collection, is being exhibited alongside artworks by Karen Conway, Barrie Cooke, Dorothy Cross, Stephen Doyle, Anthony Haughey, Katie Holten, John Keating, Fiona Kelly, Anne Kiely and Mary Palmer, Elizabeth Magill, Alice Maher, Frieda Meaney, and John Rainey. The exhibition also features the work of invited artists Dorota Borowa, Tom Climent, James Hayes, and Ciara O’Connor.

The exhibition explores how identity is shaped by our relationship with land, history, and memory. We are an island formed by rupture and renewal, rooted in ancient cultures yet continually re-forming in the wake of colonisation. The exhibition conveys the persistence of history in the present, while themes of displacement and the urge to put down roots resonate quietly throughout the selected artworks.

Repoussé with Eva Lynch
Saturday 20 June | 9:30 - 5 | €130
Venue: National Sculpture Factory

Learn the art of shaping copper in relief using hammers and punches.
Book here - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/repousse-with-eva-lynch-tickets-1989904647367

In this one-day workshop, we will explore the ancient Bronze Age techniques of chasing and repoussé. The term chasing is derived from the French word chasse, meaning a groove, furrow, channel, or indentation. A design is applied to the metal by first using carbon paper to transfer the pattern onto the surface, then using a scribe to etch in the design. The metal is then set into pitch and worked on from both sides using a selection of punches and a repoussé hammer until the desired effect is achieved.
All materials and equipment are supplied.

Our Learning Lab conversation with John Conway on Thursday 4 June is now fully booked.
To be added to our waitlist please email [email protected]

Could you see yourself here 👀

Studio spaces are available for rent at the National Sculpture Factory. NSF provides a dynamic and supportive working environment for artists working in the contemporary visual arts. We also run a programme of talks, projects and professional development opportunities which add further scope for engagement.

Read more on our website - nationalsculpturefactory.com/factory-floor/rent-studio-space/

📸 Fiona Kelly

Good luck to the BAVA Sherkin graduating class of 2026, currently busy installing their graduate exhibitions. And all-island installation of artwork can be viewed on Sherkin Island from 16 and 17 May, followed by a group show at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre 23 May to 13 June.