'From the corner of my room' ceramic 3D artwork by Ciara O'Keeffe
Following her participation in the NDRC’s Clicktailing programme, Kildare-based ceramic artist Ciara O’Keeffe learned how to market her work online and has already had one of her pieces put on display in London’s Saatchi Gallery as a result.
The Clicktailing programme was devised by NDRC’s Inventorium and the Irish Internet Association (IIA) as a crash course in e-commerce for traditional Irish retailers. The intensive accelerator promised to have 20 participants ready for online trading after just 10 days spread over five weeks in May.
Clicktailing covered product photography, online payment systems, logistics advice and online marketing skills. O’Keeffe is just one of the programme’s graduates and her online store is now live, as well as profiles on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
It was through pinning her work on Pinterest that O’Keeffe was discovered by the Saatchi Gallery.
The benefits of being online
The gallery’s directors contacted O’Keeffe directly when they saw a picture of her 3D ceramic artwork entitled ‘From the corner of my room’ to offer her the exhibition space. Her work is now on display on the second floor of the London contemporary art gallery.
“My studio practice was established in Kildare 14 years ago and since then I have been creating bespoke ceramic artworks, using the quality of clay to capture mood and sensitivity,” said O’Keeffe.
“I am delighted that the Saatchi Gallery took such an interest in my work,” she said. “After completing Clicktailing, I was able to engage with potential customers in a new and direct way and I am already seeing the benefits.”
“Ciara’s success not only highlights the power of social media, but also how, in a short period of time, retailers can get online and achieve a huge degree of success,” said Fiona Hyland of Inventorium.
Other retailers involved in the Clicktailing programme are also generating online sales with three-quarters now selling through their online stores.
