Raymond Kinghan was seduced by silver after years of sculpting his Forms of Life pieces in ceramic and bronze.
His collections of abstract shapes, in particular his colourful birds, have become widely known internationally.
Since turning to silver and some gold, his new work, which was unveiled this week, includes unicorns, peacocks, horses and bulls, sculpted in silver and birds, of course.
The exhibition was opened at Designyard in Temple Bar by the Tanáiste, Mary Harney, attracting many devotees of the applied arts.
According to silversmith Jane Huston, Kinghan has "moved into a whole new medium . . . I taught him how to use the metal but he does all the carving. It's still his form and it's still his beautiful shapes". Huston is a trainer on the jewellery skills course in Castle Yard, Kilkenny, a two-year course which was set up by the Crafts Council of Ireland. An exhibition of work by trainees will run over two-weeks in Castle Yard, Kilkenny, from Tuesday, July 22nd, she said.
At the opening in Temple Bar, Jim McNaughton, chairman of Business2Arts, chatted to Cyril Forbes, former chair of the Crafts Council of Ireland and his wife, Jill Forbes. Adrian Taheny, chairman of designyard, welcomed the Tanáiste to the centre for applied arts, which has now been in business for 10 years.
Designer Jools Hannon, whose own exhibition of chairs, mirrors and benches, was opened in Designyard two weeks ago, also came along to see Kinghan's new work. And contemporary lighting designer Shane Holland, who is also exhibited at designyard, was there with his wife, Carol Holland.
"A lot of my designs are metalic looking," said Kinghan, pointing to earlier ceramic work that he designed as part of his Forms of Life line. "The more I got into that sculpture, the more I thought if I could just do them in silver . . . What I've done is a little bit strange."
It is the relationship between form, colour and imagination "that has stimulated the development of my work over 25 years," said the Dublin-based artist, who grew up in " drumlin-country" near Ballinahinch, Co Down.
The results were achieved through sandblasting, high polishing, enamelling and patination of the silver, he said. The work will remain on view at designyard until Tuesday, May 13th.