Kinsale-based furniture designer Joseph Walsh, a Riverstick native, is being honoured with a doctorate from UCC in June.
KINSALE-based furniture designer Joseph Walsh, a Riverstick native, is being honoured with a doctorate from UCC in June.
The designer, an acclaimed craftsman, founded his furniture studio and workshop in 1999. The self-taught designer maker is lauded internationally for his extraordinary designs, which can be found in numerous international museum and private collections.
They are regularly exhibited at major art and design fairs, from the Oliver Sears Gallery and the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, to the Centre George Pompidou, Paris and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, amongst others.
Joseph employs a specialist team of craftspeople and design technicians, seeking to challenge and disrupt existing practice. He draws inspiration from nature and this is reflected in his approach, allowing the pieces to evolve and reveal themselves.
With a number of exhibitions and appearances scheduled at museums and art festivals this year alone in the UK and US, Joseph is currently working on several projects. He will be honoured at a special UCC ceremony on June 5th, along with Kerry fashion designer Don O’Neill, and curator and philanthropist Nicholas Fox Weber, who has strong links with Glandore.
A cultural historian, Nicholas has dedicated his life to understanding and sharing the visual arts. Nicholas will be conferred with a Doctor of Literature in recognition of his achievements.
Nicholas is the executive director of the Connecticut-based not-for-profit Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, described by Nicholas Serota, director of Tate in London as ‘the cream of artist’s foundations: the standard bearer.’ The American has a strong connection to Cork, having spent much time there over the years in Glandore. His son-in-law is also from Cork. Nicholas has written extensively about the artists Josef and Anni Albers and curated many major exhibitions dedicated to their work, including shows at Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum New York, the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice, the Guggenheim, New York, the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Connecticut and UCC’s Lewis Glucksman.
