Magda was born and raised in Athens, one of the world’s oldest and most influential cultural and artistic cities. She worked for years in the business sector whilst studying “European Civilization” at the Greek Open University. It was 2009 when she started flirting with the creative potentials of clay. In 2012 she decided to pursue her passion for ceramics on a full-time basis when she was accepted onto the DCCoI Ceramics Skills and Design Training Course. She graduated in July 2014 after having successfully exhibited her work at the National Craft Gallery and the Blue Egg Gallery. Soon after, she won the Lewis Glucksman Gallery Graduate Award. Later that same year was selected to exhibit at various galleries in Ireland such as Solomon Fine Art as part of “Portfolio” programme. Her creations have been included the last 4 years in numerous group exhibitions of Ceramics Ireland and were chosen for the exhibition of RDS Craft awards 2015, 2016 and 2017. She has been awarded with the 2018 Peter Brennan Pioneering Award and the same year got shortlisted for Golden Fleece Award, Ireland.

 

Magda’s work is defined by an on-going exploration into new forms, surfaces and processes. The starting point is always the potter’s wheel, where she creates both tableware and decorative pieces. Smooth curves and gentle colours in her earlier work have now developed into strong forms with simple lines with bright bubbly glazes and expressive textures. Deep iron black clay breaks through the surfaces, contrasting with these rich colours. Her inspiration comes from many sources, ranging from natural landscape to found objects and ancient artifacts.

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Awards:

2018 Peter Brennan Pioneering Award, Ceramics Ireland Selected Members Exhibition

2018 Shortlisted for Golden Fleece Award, Ireland

2017 Shortlisted and exhibited to the RDS National Craft Awards, Ireland

2016 Shortlisted and exhibited to the RDS National Craft Awards, Ireland

2015 Shortlisted and exhibited to the RDS National Craft Awards, Ireland

2014 Selected for Portfolio DCCoI wider program 

2014 Graduate Award, The Lewis Glucksman Gallery Cork, Ireland

 

Exhibitions and Fairs:

2019 National Botanic Gardens, Dublin, Sculpture in Context Group Exhibition

2019 Rathfarnham Castle Arts, Ceramics Ireland Selected Members Exhibition

2018 Rathfarnham Castle Arts, Ceramics Ireland Selected Members Exhibition

2018 Printworks Dublin Castle, Ceramics Ireland Members Exhibition

2017 Rothe House Kilkenny, DCCoI Savour Kilkenny, Group Exhibition

2017 Rathfarnham Castle Arts, Ceramics Ireland Selected Members Exhibition

2017 Printworks Dublin Castle, Ceramics Ireland Members Exhibition

2017 RDS Concert Hall, Crafts Awards Exhibition

2017 Cill Rialaig Art Centre, Artist in Craft Group Exhibition

2017 Blue Egg Gallery, Jugs Group Exhibition

2016 Design Ireland’s Pop –Up Shop, Westbury Mall, Dublin in conjunction with DCCoI

2016 RDS National Craft and Design Fair 2016

2016 Buttler House, Kilkenny, Table, Group Exhibition

2016 RDS Crafts Awards Exhibition

2016 The Cowshed Gallery, Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Ceramics Ireland Annual Member Exhibition

2016 Cill Rialaig, Art Centre, Clay in focus, Group Exhibition

2016 Young II, So Fine Art Editions, Dublin, Group Show

2015 Marlay Craft Fair, Marlay Park, Dublin

2015 - PORTFOLIO @ Solomon- Finale Exhibition, Solomon Fine Art, Dublin, in conjunction with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), Irish Design 2015

2015 The Winter Fair, Dun Laoghaire County Hall, Dublin

2015 Craft and Design Fair 2014, The Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork

2015 Pearse Museum Dublin Ceramics Ireland selected members exhibition

2015 Innovations in ceramic art - Fair in Cambridge UK by Online Ceramics and Craft Potters Association UK

2015 Greenacres Gallery – Summer Show Group Exhibition

2015 The Cowshed Gallery – Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Ceramics Ireland Members Exhibition

2015 Cill Rialaig Art Centre – The art of the potter – Group Show

2015 Blue Egg Gallery - Summer Show – Group Show

2015 Gallerie Lisette, An exhibition of Ceramics by Magda Bethani and Photography by David Stephenson

2015 The Open Window Gallery, A group exhibition of new work by artists represented in the book Irish Ceramics which records the most important contemporary ceramic artists in Ireland.

2015 PORTFOLIO @ Solomon, Solomon Fine Art, Dublin, in conjunction with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), Irish Design 2015, twenty makers show

2015 New Ground, An Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramics, Two persons show, Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Ireland

2015 ‘Irish Ceramics’ book launch exhibition, Mill Cove Gallery, The Beara Peninsula, Ireland. Was selected to appear in the Irish Ceramics book, showcasing the best of Irish contemporary ceramics

2014 Ardmore Pottery Christmas Fair, Ardmore Pottery and Gallery, Ardmore, Ireland

2014 52nd Pan-Hellenic Ceramics Exhibition – Athens Greece- Group exhibition

2014 Craft and Design Fair 2014, The Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork

2014 Pearse Museum Dublin Ceramics Ireland selected members exhibition

2014 National Craft Gallery DCCoI Ceramics Skills and Design Course, Graduation Exhibition, Kilkenny, Ireland

2014 National Botanic Gardens, Ceramics Ireland Group Show

2014 What a Dish - Blue Egg Gallery, Wexford, Ireland. Ceramic Skills and Design course - Students group show

2013 Rathfarnham Castle Arts, Ceramics Ireland Group Show

 

Education:

2012 – 2014  Ceramics Skills and Design Course - Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, Thomastown, Kilkenny

2002 – 2008  Greek Open University, B.A. Studies in European Civilization

 

Master Classes-Attendance:

2014 Master Class - Lisa Hammond –2 Days Workshop-Demonstration-Lecture in Thomastown, Ireland

2013 Master Class - Walter Keeler-2 Days Workshop -Demonstration-Lecture in Thomastown, Ireland

2012 Master Class - Ken Eastman 1 day Workshop -Demonstration-Lecture University Limerick, Ireland

2012 Master Class - David Frith- 3 days Workshop -Demonstration-Lecture in Thomastown, Ireland

2012 Ceramics Ireland Raku Workshop in Thomastown, Ireland

 

Memberships:

Design & Crafts Council of Ireland

Ceramics Ireland Organization

 

Publications:

Irish Ceramics by John Goode, Mill Cove Galleries, records the most important contemporary ceramic artists in Ireland  (feature)