Louise Walsh facts for kids

Louise Walsh, born in 1963, is a talented Irish artist from County Cork. She used to teach art at the National College of Art and Design. Louise is famous for her many public artworks. You can find her sculptures in cities like Belfast, Limerick, and Dublin, and even at London's Heathrow Airport.

About Louise Walsh

Louise Walsh was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1963. She studied art at the Crawford Municipal School of Art. She graduated with high honors in 1985. The next year, in 1986, she earned her master's degree in Sculpture. She got this degree from the University of Ulster in Belfast. From 1996 to 2022, Louise worked in the Sculpture Department. This was at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.

Her Amazing Artworks

Louise Walsh is well-known for creating life-size figures. These figures often look full of energy and movement. Her art sometimes causes discussions because it challenges common ways women are shown. Many people praise her great technical skill. They also like how she uses everyday objects in her art.

Exhibitions and Public Art

Louise has shown her art in many places. She has had exhibitions across Ireland and the UK. Some notable shows include 'Sounding the Depths Phase Two' at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin. She also exhibited in Graz, Austria, and at the Temple Bar Gallery in Dublin. Her work has been seen at the Arts Council Gallery in Belfast. The Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick also hosted her art.

She has a lot of experience with public art projects. These are artworks made for public spaces. Her commissions include an installation at Heathrow Airport in London. She also created sculptures for the Royal Victoria Hospital. You can find her public art in Dublin, Cavan, and Limerick.

The Derry Project

In 2006, Louise was asked to create a sculpture for Derry. This sculpture was meant to remember the 300-year history of women factory workers there. Over the next few years, the project faced many delays. Planning permission for the sculpture was not approved. This meant its location had to change. Because of this, Louise had to redesign and remake her sculpture.

By 2013, she decided to leave the project. She had lost money during the long process.

Monument to the Unknown Woman Worker

In the late 1980s, Louise designed a public artwork for Belfast. It was meant to honor women's work. Her design was chosen by the project's panel. The original idea was to show "two colorful life-size ‘cartoon’ female figures." Louise felt this way of showing women was not right.

Walsh's 1992 work, Monument to the Unknown Woman Worker, Belfast.

Instead, she suggested two bronze female figures. Her idea was to highlight important issues. These included women's low-paid jobs and unpaid housework. She showed this by putting everyday objects into the figures. These objects included household items, telephones, shopping baskets, and cash registers. Because her idea was different, the panel decided not to use it. However, a private developer later asked her to create the work. It was named Monument to the Unknown Woman Worker. The sculpture was put up in 1992.