While most of designer Alan Meredith’s striking installations and furniture end up in private collection, often outside the country, he has exhibited at Electric Picnic annually since 2012 and is currently putting the final touches to this year’s standout exhibit.
He has also done a project for the Holy Family School, Portlaoise.
His studio – a restored stable, cow house and grain loft – is on the family beef, sheep and tillage farm at The Oak, Mountmellick.
Working mainly in Irish oak sourced from local sawmills along with some trees on the farm that have reached the end of their life, his designs blur the boundaries of contemporary art, sculpture and architecture.
After attending secondary school in Kilkenny College, Alan studied architecture in UCD for five years, including a semester in KTH Stockholm in 2014.
His meticulously crafted one-of-a-kind creations are currently on show at a slew of exhibitions. ‘Made in Ireland’ is a group show of Irish studio craft on at the Farmleigh Gallery, Phoenix Park, running until September 4.
This exhibition will travel to F.E. McWilliam Gallery, Co Down on September 24 where it will remain until January 21, 2023. Alan also works in the area of public space design.
Over the years he has developed the ancient method of steaming wood, a technique that allows him to generate new and elaborate forms while working within the constraints of solid wood.
“At present I am working on a group of furniture pieces for a private commission in Dublin,” said Alan who began working with wood from the age of eight.
“I am also working on a corporate commission of chairs, a table and cabinet for a company based in Dublin and my vessels are available from a number of galleries in Ireland, the UK and the USA.”
The larger scale outdoor pieces, he said, are usually inspired by their location and place.
“A good example of this is my work ‘Portlaoise’ which is based on an old map of Portlaoise, and the roads which lead to its centre.
“This in the past created a vibrant town centre as all roads led to the town square which was a thriving place of social interaction and commerce.
“This geometry is then translated into a large bench which itself became a social centre point of the Holy Family schools,” said Alan.
“My smaller works tend to be more directly inspired by the wood and its characteristic.
“I often seek out woods such as burl oak as it has intense character in its grain. I also like to read the grain direction of a particular piece of wood and use that to my advantage when forming a piece.
“This is an important aspect with steam bent wood as it bends most successfully when you work with the grain of the wood.”
Pieces take from a week upwards to make, he said. A recent four-metre long cabinet took four months to create.
While he has only designed a handful of buildings since graduated, he recently designed his own house.
“That has been a really interesting and rewarding challenge. It has been so helpful to have the knowledge of architecture, as building a house is a massive undertaking with endless decisions to be made.
“I don’t work as an architect but often make exhibition models for other architects. This work allows me to use my architecture and furniture making background simultaneously,” he said.
The award-winning designer who rolls up his sleeves and helps out his dad and his brother on the farm when required, kept going through Covid.
“We worked through Covid as best we could. Usually, each year the work is shown at many exhibitions and fairs, many of which were cancelled. It was an uncertain time so it is great to have that behind us.”
Alan was included in Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s publication ‘Irish Craft Heroes, 50 Makers X 50 years’ as one of the future lights.
Looking to the future, he hopes to expand the studio’s international customer base.
“I would like to create new work that explores the endless possibilities of wood as a material and its ability to create works that have presence and meaning.”
Image credits: Images of Alan: Roland Paschhoff; Vessel 72: Alan Meredith; Curio (iii); Rory Moore; 7481 – Quadriptych table: Roland Paschhoff (Architecture by Maremoto.ar)
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