Sian Hoolahan

Ceramic artist

Ceramics

"Alida loves paisley"

Ceramic painting and decal collage

Hand made tile panel and mixed media

Size W39cm x H2cm x L96cm

In the shape of an Indian bay leaf. A commission from Alida, an artist, teacher, and mother, of mixed Indian/Catholic and Dutch/Jewish heritage. Sian has created a feminine shaped form within the centre eye of the leaf tile panel, where tear drop paisley patterns symbolise an abstract portrait of Alida.


"Comforting insecurity 3"

Ceramic and mixed media

Size W27cm x H23.5cm x L35cm

Third in a series of three portraits of a mother, showing the contrasts in her personality. She is represented in the abstract as a charm bracelet collage of shapes and colours.

"Comforting insecurity 2"

Ceramic and mixed media

Size between 45cm x 30cm

"Comforting insecurity 1"

Ceramic and mixed media

Size between 45cm x 30cm

Exhibited Dec 2023 - Art For Social Justice - SHIM Group exhibition at Miami Art Week and Artsy

"Balance"

Girl hand leaf sculptures

Ceramic and mixed media

Size 35cm x 18cm

"The environment in our eyes"

Ceramic paintings and decal collage panels

Size between 90cm x 60cm

Biography

Born in 1965 West Sussex, UK, ceramic artist Sian Hoolahan has been exploring female wellbeing and care for the environment throughout her artistic career. As a young girl she began creating art as a means of dealing with her mother’s mental health issues and then later with her own personal fight against breast cancer.


When studying her Foundation course at Worthing College of art she discovered a love of creating art using collage and working in ceramics, both of which have remained consistently in her body of work.


Sian was awarded a First-class BA Hons degree in the late 1980s from Camberwell College of Arts, London. Although inspired by nature when growing up in rural surroundings, Sian has lived and worked for many decades in London.


Sian hand builds poetic and surreal small scale ceramic sculptures and tile panels. Our interconnections to the people in our lives and both our internal and external landscapes, are her major themes.


She combines different clays and hand paints her glazes. Each piece goes through several firings to different temperatures. She then paints her pieces using low temperature on-glaze colours and ceramic transfer images until complete.


Artist statement

Sian’s art takes the form of both two and three-dimensional collages.


Her collages capture a sense of movement and life to represent the complexities of emotions. She says: “That's why I'm attracted to using collage. I'm interested in expressing things that appear to be opposite but can often be experienced at the same time like calm impatience or comforting insecurity. Contrasting colours, images and objects in my work represent the diversity of life and gives the element of surprise at the swirling organic growth of ideas and learning.”


She says: “Our emotions are fluid they can swiftly change like the air, blowing freely and giving the breath of life; then stultifying and stifling the next.” Sian continues: “Sometimes you don’t know what to feel and are unable to express yourself verbally. Art is a way to express some things that we may struggle to label.”


Recycling is a big part of her philosophy. Sian is trying to do the least harm to the environment with her art practise. She challenges herself to recycle, repurpose and reuse all her materials.

CV

1988-present - I run my own art studio.


1985-88 First Class BA (Hons) Degree in Three Dimensional Design

Camberwell School of Art, Peckham Road, London, SE5 - Ceramics, mixed media, ceramic print making, photography, drawing and art history.


Exhibitions


2024 - Ecofeminism Festival - Art from Heart group exhibition, Mile End, Art Pavilion, London


2023 - Art For Social Justice - SHIM Group exhibition at Miami Art Week and Artsy representation


2017 - to present - I open my studio during artists trails


2015 CGP 31st Annual Open Exhibition - CGP London, Southwark Park, London


1998 Solo exhibition - The Model House, Bull Ring, Llantrisant, Wales


1998 Group exhibition and meet the makers. Rangers House (English Heritage), Blackheath, London


1997 Focus solo exhibition - Contemporary Applied Arts, 2 Percy Street, London


1996 “Hot of the Press” - Carlisle City Museum, Tullie House UK

This group exhibition toured UK galleries, highlighting makers using ceramics and print techniques.


1989 - 98 Contemporary Applied Arts, 2 Percy Street, London - various members exhibitions.


1989 Contemporary Art Society - my work was bought for exhibition in public art galleries.

https://contemporaryartsociety.org/artists/sian-hoolahan


Contact

If you would like to know more about my artwork it would be a pleasure to hear from you or meet with you to discuss my practice and show you my latest work.


My work is available for exhibitions and private commissions.


Please email me if you would like to purchase an artwork or would like a quote.


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