{"title":"Sulphur - Lavit Gallery","description":"\u003cp\u003eWines served at the opening reception Thursday 18 June 2026.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eSulphur\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOrla Whelan\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMain Gallery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e18 June - 11 July 2026\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIn collaboration with the The Fold, art and geology research group\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpening reception Thursday 18 June 5.30-7.30pm\u003cbr\u003eArtist talk, as part of The Fold Symposium, Saturday 04 July, 3pm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSulphur\u003c\/strong\u003e is an exhibition of new work by visual artist Orla Whelan. Building on her longstanding interest in geology and colour, in 2025 Orla undertook research in collaboration with The Fold art and geology group, focusing on specimens of elemental sulphur from UCC’s rock collection. Initially drawn to the intense colour, Orla’s research interests deepened to include the invisible crystalline structure embedded within the rock's various outward formations, as well as its historical roles in alchemy, industry and astronomy. Representing the soul in alchemy, sulphur was considered to be one of the three primes (along with mercury and salt) from which all matter was comprised, and from which any material could be created. In addition to its transformative potential and intense array of yellows, the artist considers its hidden chromatic capacities—while lemon-yellow in solid form, sulphur becomes a molten red liquid and emits a blue flame when burned. Weaving science, intuition, materiality and magical thinking through the formal language of abstraction and the materials of painting, this exhibition of new work presented at Lavit Gallery includes a floor-based painting on plywood and paintings on linen, alongside sulphur specimens kindly loaned by UCC Geology Department.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrla Whelan is a visual artist working primarily in painting. Her work takes abstraction as a field of possibility in which to speculate on all things invisible or intangible. Eschewing figurative imagery and narrative device, she employs the basic ingredients of painting (colour, form and surface), to create abstract visual propositions for an image-saturated world. Although abstract, her paintings borrow their palette and forms from the world around them, frequently inspired by geology, cosmology and architecture. In recent years, Orla’s practice has expanded to include marquetry, writing, site-responsive interventions and collaborations, which have been developed alongside a series of oil paintings on linen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrla’s recent solo exhibitions include \u003cem\u003eColoured into Shape\u003c\/em\u003e at Hillsboro Fine Art (2024), \u003cem\u003eColoured by Weather\u003c\/em\u003e at Custom House Gallery, Westport (2024), \u003cem\u003eGlas, Gorm, Uaine\u003c\/em\u003e at the Pearse Museum, OPW (2023) \u003cem\u003eMagnum Chaos\u003c\/em\u003e at Hillsboro Fine Art (2023), and \u003cem\u003eI Don’t Need Anything From Here\u003c\/em\u003e (magic-carpet-painting) at RHA Gallery (2022). Her book \u003cem\u003eMatter Mammal Oil Soar\u003c\/em\u003e was launched at the Dublin Art Book Fair at Temple Bar Gallery \u0026amp; Studios in 2021. Orla is founding director of art publishers Whale Dust and artists’ collective AtHomeStudios. Her practice has been supported by The Arts Council of Ireland and her work is held in the collections of The Arts Council, Crawford Art Gallery, and The OPW State Art Collection. She is represented by Hillsboro Fine Art Gallery Dublin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Fold is a cross-disciplinary research group founded in 2024 by Jess Franklin. It brings together artists and geologists to explore geology as a source of inspiration for creative practice through exploration, dialogue, and embodied engagement with the natural world. Co-designed with artists to ensure a creative-led ethos, the group is supported by a standing committee that guides its programming. The Fold meets bi-monthly through a varied programme of Seminars and Sharings, Open Days, and Field Trips. Its artists work across diverse practices including dance, film, visual art, poetry, photography, sound, and sculpture. Geologists in the group are affiliated with University College Cork, as well as specialists from industry and retired professional practice. Through these partnerships, artists gain structured access to academic expertise, geological collections, and technical resources typically held within the university, creating a framework for shared inquiry and mutual learning. This ongoing exchange between artistic and geological perspectives continues to generate new ways of engaging with the natural environment as a source of insight and inspiration.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"domaine-bassac-little-parcel-saint-chinian-2023","title":"Domaine Bassac, Little Parcel Saint-Chinian 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eConcentrated and inky Languedoc red, with dark fruit character and hints of herbs and liquorice. 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