Eileen Gray celebrated in France
TWO renowned Irish sculptors have been congratulated by Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan on their work to mark the contribution of Enniscorthy-born designer Eileen Gray in France.
Eilis O’Connell and Vera Klute are both delighted to have work on display at the Art’Bre sculpture exhibition which takes place in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the South of France, where Eileen lived in her iconic E-1027 villa having left Ireland and her family home at Brownswood.
Prince Albert of Monaco, along with Patricia O’Brien, Ireland’s Ambassador to France, will officially open the exhibition, which features a commissioned bust of Eileen Gray by Dublin artist Vera Klute and a selection of work by Eilis O’Connell. The event is supported by Culture Ireland.
Minister Madigan said that ‘Eileen Gray was a pioneer and model for female architects and designers. In this special year with Irish architects Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell curating the Venice Biennale it is timely to mark Gray’s contribution to architecture. I congratulate Eilis O’Connell and Vera Klute, two of Ireland’s leading contemporary female sculptors for their outstanding work which will be on display from today at Eileen Gray’s iconic E-1027 villa overlooking the Mediterranean’.
While Eileen’s childhood was split between Brownswood and Kensington in London, she spent much of her life in France. Her achievements will be marked at the house designed by Gray in Cap Moderne where the bust of Gray by Klute and Eilis O’Connell sculpture exhibition, curated by Patrick T Murphy of the Royal Hibernian Academy are sited. Further works by O’Connell will be displayed in the Municipal Park for the month of September.