About Us + Our Materials
A Story of Pots + Pencils, Metal + Clay
Stephen Farnan Studio sits right in the heart of west Belfast, at St Comgall’s on Divis Street. His creative journey has been a rich one: born in England, of Irish parents, but growing up in Armagh. Stephen completed his degree in Fine & Applied Art in Belfast, followed by a Masters in Ceramics & Glass at the Royal College of Art, London. After a bit of travelling he returned home in 2002 to set up his studio at Priory Cottages in Benburb, County Tyrone.
Stephen is a maker at heart, pottery is probably his first love, but with his pencil sketches of familiar Irish scenes, his life drawings, his playful sketched thoughts, Stephen's work spans red earthenware, porcelain, wood, aluminium, and canvas — a broad, curious practice rooted in both craft and imagination.
Porcelain: Captured Memories
Stephen’s Captured Memories series celebrates Ireland, and her beauty. Every piece begins as hand-rolled porcelain, cut, ripped, stamped and shaped into something raw and textured. No two pieces are ever the same. A rich glaze fired to 1220°C adds depth, while Stephen’s own drawings — applied as ceramic decals and re-fired at 850°C — give each work its unique voice. These are small, permanent stories: timeless landscapes captured forever in porcelain.
Red Earthenware: Simple & Honest
Some of Stephen’s most striking work comes from humble red earthenware. Often paired with just a touch of glaze, the clay’s natural texture softens beautifully with time and use. Flowing glazes bring warmth and contrast, creating pieces that feel rugged and elegant all at once — simple, tactile, and timeless.
Aluminium: Extraordinary from the Ordinary
Stephen’s aluminium work focuses on transformation — turning simple sketches and an everyday material into something refined and unexpected. Years of experimentation have shaped a process that elevates aluminium into something distinct, polished, and unmistakably his.
BELFAST delft
Memory first. Play second. AI somewhere in between.
This small, experimental body of work is new terrain.
For now, Stephen is simply following a thread to see where it leads. Each piece begins with a memory or an imagined scene—often starting as a sketch—and is shaped and reshaped through a process of making, reflection, and occasional experimentation with AI. Not as the source of the work, but as one tool among many used to stretch ideas, test possibilities, and keep playfulness alive in the studio.
The work has stirred debate, which is perhaps inevitable whenever a creative practice encounters new technology. Yet the reality is that AI is already woven through modern life: in healthcare, finance, communication, and the devices we all carry. Expecting creatives to abstain from it while everyone else relies on it daily feels neither honest nor constructive.
Human beings have never created in isolation. Culture evolves through shared influence—through the imagery, stories, skills, and technologies passed down over generations. Stephen’s approach is rooted in that understanding: creativity isn’t about shutting the door on new tools, but about using them thoughtfully while staying true to one’s own voice.
As John Cleese said, “If you want creative workers, give them time to play.” He also noted that “Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating.”
And so—let’s see where this goes…
Sketchy Thoughts: Fast, Playful, and a Bit Cheeky
Sketchy Thoughts is a pretty spontaneous body of work by Stephen — quick iPad sketches made in baths, planes, cars, beaches, and anywhere thoughts appear. Each piece starts with a lyric, a moment, or a passing observation and becomes something loose, colourful, and sharply honest.
This series gently mocks the familiar “art” we see everywhere while also poking fun at Stephen himself - his habits, clichés, and contradictions. Part parody, part self-reflection, always rooted in real life. Fast, expressive, a little sarcastic, and quietly sincere, Sketchy Thoughts adds a playful new layer to the story of pots + pencils, metal + clay.
Stephen Farnan’s practice is playful, experimental, and deeply personal. Whether through Pencils + Pens, Red Earthenware, Porcelain, Sketches, Wood, or Aluminium. Through his practice he is trying to capture some element of the materials, the passage of time, and the stories hidden in the everyday.