THE WORK of a Limerick designer, who made a €9,500 chair with the same historic Irish slate used in Westminster Abbey, will be among the star attractions at a new art event in Dublin.
Designed by award-winning Limerick architect and furniture designer Edwyn James Hickey, the Valentia Slate chair is being exhibited by Dublin’s Sol Gallery at Art Evolve at the RDS.
The unique art fair, running from April 4 to 6, will see members of the Contemporary Art Gallery Association join forces with other established galleries to bring the best in Irish and international contemporary art under one roof.
The chair came to life after Limerick-born designer Hickey learned that there had been a quarry on Kerry’s Valentia Island when he was visiting for a work project.
He researched further and found massive chambers of stone reminiscent of Skellig Michael, which he said transported him to a different world.
The quarry, which first opened in 1816, once employed over 450 people.
In 2018, it was bought by Killarney geologist Dr Aidan Forde and stone is once again being quarried there.
Last year, Valentia Slate was given global designation as a heritage stone and was most recently used on the roof of The Rubrics building in Trinity College Dublin.
It also provided slates for the construction of international landmark buildings such as Paris Opera House and London’s Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Weighing 210kg, Hickey’s Valentia chair, which he made last year, uses the slate on two side pieces, and the seat is made of folded steel with black German leather upholstery.
“It’s super comfortable, my work is about making things practical as well as aesthetically pleasing,” the Limerick designer said.
“It is a statement piece. This is going to be a rare stone in the future. There’s not an endless supply of it. When people buy a piece like this, they’re buying into that.”
Art Evolve runs at the RDS from April 4 to 6. More in formation is available on artevolve.ie.
