Blackthorn Ceramics is a contemporary ceramics studio rooted in Irish heritage, family history, and evolving craft traditions.

Named after the Blackthorn Giftshop, opened in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland, in 1962 by my nan, Mary O’Hagan. This studio is its spiritual successor. The work reflects a tradition of making where objects are shaped by use, time, and place.

I studied ceramics and product design at Ulster University, where traditional hand skills met digital processes. Today, my practice combines hand-built and slip-cast ceramics with new technologies such as 3D-printed moulds, exploring how innovation can support traditional craft.

Guided by an open-source ethos, Blackthorn Ceramics values shared knowledge and accessible making. The How it’s made section of the site acts as an open studio journal, documenting process, tools, and experimentation as a contribution to shared ceramics knowledge.

Thanks a mil,

Charlie O’Hagan