Eva McKee

Eva McKee (28 July 1890 – 1955) was an Irish craftswoman and designer, known for her involvement with the Irish Decorative Art Association. She was known for producing objects decorated with Celtic designs in a variety of media including leatherwork, jewellery, painted wood, embroidery, ceramics, repoussé metalwork, and block prints.

Early life Eva Kathleen McKee was born 28 July 1890, at 32 Lothair Avenue, Belfast. Her parents were James Henry McKee, a builder, and Jane McKee (née Grogan). She began working in the Irish Decorative Art Association (IDAA) in the 1910s, a Belfast craftworkers organisation and later a cooperative society founded by Mina Robinson. Whilst working in the IDAA she attended evening classes in the Belfast School of Art.

McKee also drew up a large number of jewellery designs, which were then executed by local Belfast craftswomen. These designs feature interlace and spiral patterns of Celtic design mixed with the leafy tree motifs of the English arts and crafts movement. Among the items she designed were necklaces, earrings, pendants, and rings which had settings for enamel, ceramic or precious stones. McKee was also well known for her decorative leatherwork, also featuring Celtic design. One example is her book cover for a George William Russell volume of poetry, which was exhibited at the Tailteann exhibition in 1924. Both McKee and McCloy also created a variety of domestic items, utilising decorated woodwork, embroidery, enamelling, and repoussé metalwork.

Later life From 1933, McKee and McCloy stopped using the IDAA, a name which was exclusively associated with their work by this time. The pair moved their studio to Donegall Place and continued their partnership into the 1950s. McKee died in Belfast in 1955. A large collection of her work is held in the Linen Hall Library, Belfast,