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Denise McAuley, founder of Moneyvart Ceramics, won the Royal Ulster Academy’s Most Outstanding Work by a Non-Member 2025 for her piece ‘Materia Medica’. The Jordanstown mum-of-four has worked for many years within trauma and orthopaedics at the Belfast Health Trust after qualifying in nursing. "I always enjoyed art at school; I have no formal art qualifications from my school days, so ceramics came much later,” she said. “My interest really took hold as my children grew up and I found space to rediscover creativity. What started as an evening hobby soon became a real passion.” In 2017, Denise began ceramics night classes at University of Ulster. “Once Covid was on the horizon, I bought a second hand wheel, ordered some clay, and began to work in my garage at home in the evenings,” she added. “It wasn’t until that following autumn that I funded my own kiln and began to do my own firings. "Balancing work, family, and creative practice wasn’t easy, but pottery became a space for calm and reflection; it gave me energy and goals rather than taking it away.” After initially funding the business’s set-up costs herself, Denise found support post-Covid through the ‘Go Succeed’, ‘Growth’, and ‘Women In Business’ programmes, along with local creative mentoring schemes. She recently graduated with distinction from the Product Design course at Belfast Metropolitan College, and currently works part-time in healthcare and part-time on ceramics. “Running Moneyvart Ceramics alongside my nursing career keeps life very busy, but both roles complement each other – one focused on care and recovery, the other on creativity and expression,” Denise added. “The ceramics side has grown so much recently it’s becoming increasingly demanding. I feel I’m now at a crossroads, considering a move into ceramics full-time.” More information on Denise’s work can be found at www.instagram.com/moneyvartceramics/ and https://moneyvart-ceramics.sumupstore.com/ Meanwhile, her ceramic piece ‘Materia Medica’ was selected for the RUA’s 144th Annual Exhibition, which runs until January 4 at the Ulster Museum. Exploring the connection between the body, medicine, and nature, the work is inspired by old apothecary forms, each representing the modern ailments of burnout, vulnerability, estrangement, and impostor syndrome. Seeing her work on display at the Ulster Museum – a place she visited as a child, and where she brings her own children - has been a “surreal and humbling” experience for the local artist. “The response has been incredibly encouraging. It has dealt a massive blow to my own Imposter Syndrome, so that’s a good thing! It’s lovely to know that people connect emotionally with the work,” she said. As for those who wish to pursue an artistic passion at a later point in life, Denise has this advice: “I truly believe, as Sir Ken Robinson once said, that we are all born creative, but that many of us are educated out of it. It’s never too late to rediscover that part of yourself. Take a class, start small, have some fun, step out of your comfort zone and see where it leads. "The balance can be challenging, but nurturing creativity brings a deep sense of purpose and joy that enriches every other part of life.” Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
