Mark Hanvey is a wood turner and furniture maker (cabinet maker) from County Down, Northern Ireland. He has been working with wood for over 20 years and has been privileged enough to receive several awards and have his work selected for exhibitions around the world.

Woodturning

Woodturning is an ancient art and Mark, as a craftsman working in the twenty first century, continues in that long tradition. He uses a mixture of native Irish and exotic timber to create his pieces.

The turned work that is most satisfying for him is that which lets the wood itself have the final say in the form. This is done using green (unseasoned) wood which when turned relatively thin distorts, as it dries, to produce beautiful organic forms. He feels that since it takes such a long time for this material to mature that he should do his best to respect it.

Furniture maker

Mark is also a furniture maker, applying the same high standard of workmanship and attention to detail as he does to his turning. With years of experience making contemporary furniture for a local designer, it was a natural progression for Mark to use these skills alongside his turning, to produce his own designs.

There is of course some crossover between turning and furniture making, and Mark applies techniques one to the other, for example on a console table he applied a contrasting veneer to the turned legs. He has also employed a free style of turning to embellish a surface within a furniture project. An example of this work is a sycamore box with multi-centered surface markings on the lid.

Mark receives private commissions for projects ranging from nested tables to bathroom cabinets.

Exhibitions and awards

Mark is honored to be consistently receiving accolades for his work. These began when he received First Prize at Irish Woodturners’ Seminar in 1994. He was subsequently selected as one of only three members of the United Kingdom for the exhibition ‘horizons 2000′ at the Brookfield Craft Center, Connecticut, New York which was curated by the American woodturner David Ellsworth.

In 2006 he received an award for his furniture work at the RDS Crafts Competition.

Three years later he accepted the best new product award at Showcase, Ireland. In the same year he received ‘The Craftsmanship Award’ at Showcase by The Crafts Council of Ireland.

Nowadays he receives private commissions as well as showcasing his latest work in exhibitions.

Full details of exhibitions and awards

2013

  • ‘Perspective’ exhibition Craft Central London
  • Exhibited at Creative Peninsula
  • ‘Meet the Maker’ event for Ards Crafts

2012

  • ‘SOFA’ New York, USA, with Flow Gallery, London
  • ‘Irish Craft Portfolio Exhibition’ at Royal Hibernian Dublin

2011

  • ‘SOFA’ Santa FE, USA, with Flow Gallery, London
  • Alliance ‘Business to Arts’ Award Commission

2010

  • ‘Collect’ at the Saatchi gallery, London
  • ‘Material poetry’ exhibition at The American Irish Historical society New York
  • ‘Irish Craft Portfolio’ exhibition at the Farmleigh Gallery, Dublin
  • ‘Beauty of Wood’ exhibition at the Signature Shop and Gallery, Atlanta, USA
  • Won first in woodturning at the RDS crafts competition

2009

  • Awarded best new product award at Showcase, Ireland
  • Awarded ‘The Craftsmanship Award’ at Showcase by The Crafts Council of Ireland
  • Work purchased by National Museum of Ireland
  • Awarded commission by Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ireland

2008

  • ‘Going Green’ exhibition in Belfast/Dundalk with Craftmark
  • SOFA (Structural Objects and Functional Art), Chicago with the Crafts council of Ireland
  • County Down crafts annual exhibition

2007

  • Creative Peninsula
  • County Down crafts annual exhibition
  • Site specific artwork for ‘Forest Lodge Children’s Respite Unit’

2006

  • Joint commission to create awards for ‘the Leader Group’
  • Creative Peninsula exhibition.
  • Second Prize (Furniture) at RDS Crafts Competition

2005

  • Creative Peninsula exhibition
  • Ards Arts Collective exhibition in Peoria, Arizona
  • Joint exhibition with Karl Harron, Glassmaker
  • Island Arts Centre, Lisburn in December 2005 as part of the County Down Crafts’ “Inspired By” exhibition

2004

  • Arts Council General Arts Award
  • RDS Crafts Competition Winners Exhibition
  • Display cabinet for the Newtownards Town Hall, commissioned by Ards Crafts on behalf of Ards Borough Council
  • Piece short-listed and went on to form part of the touring exhibition of the 2004 RDS Crafts Competition

2003

  • RDS National Crafts competition
    • First Prize Woodturning
    • Irish Woodturners’ Guild Prize
  • CCOI Purchase Award

2002

  • Creative Peninsula exhibition and workshops
  • Joint exhibition with ‘Glass Oasis’
  • ‘Organics 2′ exhibition

2001

  • County Down Crafts Annual Exhibition
  • ‘Limited Editions’ exhibition/competition

2000

  • County Down Crafts Annual Exhibition
  • Second Prize at RDS Crafts Competition
  • Selected as one of only three members of the United Kingdom for the exhibition ‘horizons 2000′ at the Brookfield Craft Center, Connecticut, New York which was curated by American woodturner David Ellsworth

1999

  • County Down Crafts Annual Exhibition

1998

  • First Prize at Irish Woodturners’ Seminar

1997

  • ‘Wonders in Wood’ exhibition in Warwick
  • Work included in accompanying publication showcasing the turned work from 101 woodturners from around the world

1996

  • First Prize at Irish Woodturners’ Seminar

1995

  • Solo Exhibition in Ards Arts Centre
  • Third Prize at Irish Woodturners’ Seminar

1994

  • First Prize at Irish Woodturners’ Seminar