Liam O'Neill

View products

Sculptor and master craftsman Liam O’Neil has been turning wood for 42 years, opening his own studio and wood sculpture garden on the shores of Galway Bay in 1992. Prior to this he studied for many years both in Ireland and the US, and was influential in setting up the Irish Woodturners Guild.

Having spent a lifetime studying the physiology of trees and the individual characteristics of different woods, O’Neill avoids embellishment and ornate decoration in his work, preferring to allow the natural grain, contours and patina of wood to take centre stage. The design process and choice of production techniques are very much interlinked in the way that O’Neill produces his work.

His hand-turned and hand-finished Vessels range for Heal’s Discovers was designed to be decorative as much as functional. The polished beechwood bowls have a ridged lip while the vases are made of redwood blackened with fire and then oiled – a technique O’Neill has employed for many years on his acclaimed series of large-scale outdoor sculptures.

“The burning process removes the softer summer wood and leaves the grain lines standing proud, almost like sandblasting. It gives the wood a really interesting texture and a lovely tactile feel.” Liam O'Neill

View the full range of Liam O'Neill products available at Heal's.