3 Questions With JAM Art Factory’s Mark Haybyrne

Mark Haybyrne, co-founder, along with his brother John, of JAM Art Factory (an acronym for John And Mark) a contemporary art space based in Dublin city showcasing work from up-and-coming Irish artists.

What inspired you to set up Jam Art Factory? My brother John and I launched Jam Art Factory in 2011. It began life as an art gallery, but over time it has evolved into a space to exhibit art and design — all by makers based in Ireland. We wanted to give new and exciting artists and designers a place to show their work. We opened our first shop on Patrick Street, Dublin 8, in the Iveagh Trust buildings and then in 2013 we set up our second shop in Crown Alley, Temple Bar. Through our website Jam Art Factory?and our print site Jam Art Prints we now have the ability to offer our artists’ work to a global audience.

What style of work do you represent in Jam Art Factory? We sell everything from fine art prints, original work from street artists to jewellery and ceramics. The work tends to be bright and bold, with many pieces inspired by Dublin and Ireland.

Sea Shirt by Mark Conlan

Three JAM Art Factory artists to watch? Pat Byrne‘s work is unique. He prints his pieces onto original antique book pages, creating something really special. Pat is a printer and designer from Dublin, working out of his studio in Wicklow. He creates these pieces from books that are falling apart and destined for landfill, thus giving them a new life. Jacob Stack is a Donegal-based artist who studied print in Limerick School of Art and Design. Each piece of work by Jacob feels like it has come straight from a storybook. Mark Conlan is a designer currently living between Dublin, London and Melbourne. His graphic work incorporates rich and vibrant colour palettes which he uses to place his characters into whimsical and absurd surroundings. Mark is definitely a designer to watch out for.

Featured photograph: Melanie Mullan