Deirdre McLoughlin

Irish Artist and Ceramic Sculptor

Deirdre McLoughlin is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from there in 2021. Throughout her artistic journey, McLoughlin has developed a unique approach to ceramics and sculpture that has earned her recognition both nationally and internationally.

In the early 1970s, McLoughlin moved to Amsterdam, where her creative path was profoundly influenced by the sculptures of Rosemary Andrews. This inspiration led her to work with clay, a medium that would become her primary form of artistic expression. Initially, McLoughlin struggled to answer the question posed by those around her: ‘Why don’t you make something useful?’ Over time, she came to realise that the abstract forms she was creating were, in fact, her own language of expression – what we commonly refer to as ‘art’.

Sodeisha Group

This revelation led her to Kyoto, Japan, where she deepened her study of ceramics. There, McLoughlin worked alongside members of the Sodeisha Group. The work of celebrated sculptors like Yasuo Hayashi and Susumu Arioka profoundly impacted her.

Ovoid Form

A key element in McLoughlin’s sculptures is the ovoid form, which remains central to her practice. These pieces, imbued with an intense physicality, represent her dedication to perfection in both form and surface. Her works exude movement, power, and a sense of purity, reflecting a deep emotional resonance. McLoughlin’s ceramic making process is slow and meticulous, often taking days or even weeks to complete. Her sculptures are coil-built, undergoing multiple polishing and firing stages before reaching completion. For McLoughlin, a work is only finished when it reveals its ‘inner logic’, a moment when the piece intuitively ‘feels right’.

Deirdre McLoughlin lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.