Kathleen Walsh

Brought up in rural Wexford, Ireland, Kathleen studied sculpture at the Waterford Institute of Technology in the early 1990s, dedicating her spare time to mastering an old lathe in her father's workshop. It was here that she discovered her love for the craft of traditional woodturning.

Currently employed at the Institute of Art, Design & Technology (Dun Laoghaire) as a technician in model making and design, Kathleen has since cultivated her passion for materials and innovative processes.

Balancing her time between Wexford and Dublin, Kathleen utilises traditional woodturning techniques, a lathe, and carving tools, combining them with modern resin casting techniques to craft unique vessel forms that seamlessly blend materials. 

Drawing inspiration from both the natural and manufactured, Kathleen builds upon the inherent and distinctive characteristics of each piece of wood. By adding contrasting resin colours, she introduces light and an interplay of translucency, creating artworks that are timeless yet distinctly contemporary. Combining natural edge oak with amber, black, and gold resin or elm with teal, black, and copper resin, she fully explores the physical and aesthetic behaviours of the combined materials to evoke a sense of effortless and harmonious cohabitation.

In describing her artwork, Kathleen explains:

"The vessels I have created echo the forms of simple everyday utensils. Although not designed for function but rather stand alone in the tradition of 'art as a vessel,' they point to the relationship between people and the objects they use and the poignancy or joy found in the rituals and gentle rhythms of daily life."