Joseph Walsh Biography
Joseph Walsh’s work reflects his passion for expression through material and form. From monumental scale sculptures to one-of-a-kind site-specific commissions and collectible design editions, every piece within his dynamic body of work reveals an intuitive relationship with making, a sympathetic use of materials and an expressive engagement with form.
Inspired by the free, uplifting and ever-changing grace that can be found in nature, Joseph Walsh has developed a creative process which captures the fluidity and immediacy of a sketch – of the moment of inspiration – and in which the final form is only defined through its making.
Joseph Walsh was born in 1979 in County Cork on the south coast of Ireland where he established his own studio and workshop at age 20 and is still based today. With no formal training, he began to explore his passion for making, visiting master makers around Europe and developing his own mastery of wood working and deep knowledge of the material. From the outset he pursued innovation in making based on traditional techniques, often from other craft forms, which enabled new making methods and forms. This led to significant early commissions for various ecclesiastical clients, the Embassy of Japan and the National Museum of Ireland.
From these early years of experimentation and development, Joseph Walsh began to break some of the traditional rules of making, and even his own rules, in order to create the truly bold and expressive forms for which he is known today, realised in an ever-widening range of materials, including wood, marble and bronze. His achievements in design have been recognised by an honorary doctorate from University College Cork, a major commission for the National Gallery of Ireland and the acquisition of works for many major international collections, including most recently the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Permanent Collections
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Metropolitan Museum Of Art
New York, USA
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National Gallery of Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
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National Museum of Ireland, Decorative Arts & History Collection
Dublin, Ireland
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The Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth House
Derbyshire, United Kingdom
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Centre Pompidou
Paris, France
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Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
New York, USA
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Mint Museum of Craft & Design
North Carolina, USA
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DaLisca Family Church
Verona, Italy
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Museum of Arts and Design
New York, USA
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Embassy of Japan
Dublin, Ireland
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Park Hotel Kenmare County
Kerry, Ireland
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Rafael Viñoly Private Collection
Uruguay
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John H. Bryan Private Collection
Illinois, USA
Solo Exhibitions
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2018
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RINN Solo Exhibition
Yufuku Gallery, Sogetsu Arts Centre, Japan
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2017
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Joseph Walsh Exhibition
Yufuku Gallery, Tsubaki Shrine, Japan
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Reveal
American Irish Historical Society, New York, USA
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2014
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Solo Exhibition
The Roche Court Educational Trust, New Art Centre, UK
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Lilium
Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
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2011
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ENIGNUM & Other Stories
Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
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2008
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Realisations
American Irish Historical Society, New York, USA
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Selected Group Exhibitions
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2021
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Design Miami/ Basel
Basel, Switzerland
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Design Miami/ Podium x Shanghai
Shanghai, China
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2020
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Design Miami/
Miami, Florida, USA
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Centre Pompidou x West Bund
Shanghai, China
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West Bund Art Fair
Shanghai, China
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2019
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Design Miami/
Miami, Florida, USA
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West Bund Art Fair
Shanghai, China
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Magnus V
DesignMiami/Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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2018
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Earth Wind Fire
Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland.
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2017
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Making/Breaking
Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York, USA
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'Narratives in Making' Portfolio
Craft Council, Kilkenny National Gallery, Ireland
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Design Miami Basel Sarah Myerscough Gallery
Basel Switzerland and Miami USA
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Pavillion of Art & Design Sarah Myerscough Gallery
London, UK
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Salon of Art & Design Sarah Myerscough Gallery
New York, USA
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2016
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Masterworks
Long House Reserve, East Hampton, New York
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Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
London, UK
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In Residence II
Oliver Sears Gallery, London, UK
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DesignMiami/Basel, Sarah Myerscough
Basel, Switzerland & Miami, USA
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Pavillion Art & Design
Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London, UK
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Salon Art & Design
Sarah Myerscough Gallery, New York, USA
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2015
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Objects In Flux
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
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Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth
Chatsworth, UK
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Side by Side An Exhibition of work from PORTFOLIO: Critical Selection
Design & Crafts Council of Ireland. Paris, France and Dublin & Kilkenny, Ireland
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In Residence I
Oliver Sears Gallery, London, UK
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2014
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Design Show: Joseph Walsh, Daniel Naude and Johannes Nagel
Artist House, The Roche Court Educational Trust, New Art Centre, UK
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Collective 2, Skylight at Moynihan Station
NY, USA
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FOG: Design & Art
Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, USA
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Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art and Craft
Bellevue Arts Museum, Washington, USA
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2013
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Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art and Craft
Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Cheongju International Craft Biennale
Cheongju, South Korea
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Modern Makers
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, UK
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COLLECT
Claire Beck at Adrian Sassoon, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
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Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art and Craft
Museum of Art and Design, New York, USA
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2012
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Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art and Craft
Mint Museum Uptown, Charlotte North, Carolina, USA
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COLLECT
Claire Beck at Adrian Sassoon, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
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Salone del Mobile
Nilufar Gallery at Palazzo Durini, Milan, Italy
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Wallpaper Handmade at Palazzo Brioni
Milan, Italy
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Design Days Dubai
Nilufar Gallery, Dubai, UAE
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Dubh: dialogues in black
Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
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2011
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SuperDesign
Nilufar Gallery, The Dairy, London, UK
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Black & White
Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
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DesignMiami/Basel
Nilufar Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
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Pavillon des Art et du Design
Nilufar Gallery, Paris, France
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Nilufar
Salone, Milan, Italy
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COLLECT Claire Beck at Adrian Sassoon
Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
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2010
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MATERIAL Poetry
American Irish Historical Society, New York, USA
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Portfolio
National Craft Gallery, Killkenny, Ireland
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Pavillion of Art & Design
Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary, London, UK
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DesignMiami
Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary, Florida, USA
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2009
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Pavilion of Art & Design
Todd Merrill Studio Contemporary, London, UK
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Grassimesse, Grassimuseum
Leipzig, Germany
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DesignMiami/Basel
Cristina Grajales Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
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2008
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SOFA
The National Craft Gallery, Chicago, USA
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Lectures & Talks
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2020
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Design in Dialogue #39: Joseph Walsh
Digital
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Jack Lenor Larsen Award
Long House Winter Benefit, Hearst Tower, New York
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2018
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Earth Wind Fire
Crawford Art Galllery, Cork
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2015
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Art Out Loud: Literary Festival
Chatsworth, UK
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2012
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Joseph Walsh: In Conversation Mint Museum Uptown
Charlotte North, Carolina, USA
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2009
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Realisations: A Reflection on 10 Years of Making
The National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
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2008
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Materiality and Construction
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Boston, USA
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