Tipperary woodturner's masterwork stuns crowd at local exhibition

Clonboo woodturner Martin Ryan has been told that his remarkable work could soon be displayed in Government-owned galleries and public buildings, following a visit to his workshop by Minister “Boxer” Moran and Tipperary TD Michael Lowry.

The news was revealed at the unveiling of Martin’s latest exhibition at Cashel Library on Saturday, August 10, where an audience of family, friends, neighbours and admirers gathered to celebrate his extraordinary journey in the world of segmented woodturning.

The unveiling also demonstrated the sheer originality of Martin’s approach. He does not rely on computers or sophisticated digital design equipment. Instead, he explained that he can visualise a design in his mind and then transfer that image onto paper before beginning the painstaking process of constructing it in timber.

That inventive streak can be traced back to his childhood. Martin recalled being fascinated by a projector brought home by a neighbour when he was around 11 years of age. Years later, when he needed to enlarge a design for one of his pieces, he recreated the principle using a shoebox, a light, a magnifying glass and a sheet of cardboard.

It is an approach that perhaps perfectly captures the creativity and ingenuity behind his work.

Speaking at the exhibition launch, Michael Lowry told those gathered that he had brought the Minister to Martin’s workshop to view his work and had been impressed by what he saw.

Lowry explained that the Office of Public Works (OPW) has a budget for procuring contemporary and other artworks for Government sites around the country. Following the visit, he said, officials had begun a procurement process.

“I’m very confident that in the very near future, Martin will get the national recognition that he deserves,” Lowry told the gathering.

He said he hoped Martin’s work, including the spectacular pieces on display at the Cashel exhibition, would eventually have a home in one of the country’s national galleries or other prominent public locations, where it could be viewed by thousands of people.

For Martin, the prospect represents a remarkable development in a woodturning journey that began just 13 years ago.

Martin told the audience that he first encountered woodturning when he was invited to take part in a course. At the time, he had never held a woodturning chisel and knew little about the different varieties of timber. But the course sparked something in him.

His fascination grew when he encountered segmented woodturning, a highly precise process involving the cutting, joining and turning of numerous individual pieces of timber.

He recalled making his first small segmented piece from walnut and chestnut. When he placed it on the lathe and completed the turning, he was astonished by the precision of the finished work.

Holding the piece in his hand, he recalled thinking: “If I can make that, what can’t I make?”

That moment became the beginning of what has developed into a distinctive artistic career.

Martin credits woodturner Willie Brett with providing invaluable encouragement and guidance during those early years. Brett introduced him to different varieties of timber and encouraged him to experiment, helping Martin develop the skills that would eventually become his trademark.

Today, Martin creates intricate works inspired by cultures, architecture and Ireland’s heritage. His pieces incorporate elaborate geometric designs which run right through the timber rather than being painted, glued or applied to the finished surface.

His Irish Heritage Collection, in particular, has become an important part of his work. Following an exhibition in 2022, Lowry challenged Martin to consider producing work inspired by Ireland’s heritage, suggesting Holy Cross Abbey as a possible subject.

Martin took up the challenge.

Since then, he has created pieces inspired by Holy Cross Abbey, the Rock of Cashel and the Giant’s Causeway, while designs for Blarney Castle and the Round Tower at Glendalough remain among his works in progress. He also hopes one day to create a piece based on the Children of Lir.

The scale and precision of the work was highlighted during the launch.

One of Martin’s major pieces contains approximately 1,150 individual segments, each of which must be precisely cut, prepared and assembled. He explained that even the apparently simple process of removing the fine edges from each segment involves thousands upon thousands of individual movements.

The spectacular piece unveiled at the exhibition was described by Martin as the largest he has ever made. Created from maple, American walnut and sapele, the work had occupied his thoughts for years and taken months of painstaking work to complete.

At the Cashel launch, Martin paid tribute to the many people who have supported him, including his wife Helen, his son Paul, Willie Brett, the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, fellow woodturners, local businesses and the staff of Cashel Library.

He also spoke warmly about the support he has received from the Clonboo community.

For someone who began woodturning only 13 years ago, the journey has been extraordinary. From a first small segmented piece made in his workshop to an exhibition in Cashel, an appearance at Somerset House in London and now the prospect of his work entering the Government’s art collection, Martin Ryan’s craft is moving onto a much bigger stage and as Michael Lowry made clear at the exhibition, this may only be the beginning.