NCAD art show throws up Dolphin flats and 3D prosthetics

The National College of Art and Design graduate show features the work of more than 500 students. It is a fertile place to hunt for interesting works to buy.

In one such, painter Seán O’Rourke adapts metal panels once used to board up the windows of Dolphin House flats in Dublin to create a triptych to commemorate its demolition.

The subtle statements made by Elva Mulchrone on the repeat patterns of macro-economics show how the inequality in the world has increased over the last 100 years. Each dot on a large work on heavy paper has been painted in an almost braille-like fashion.

There are several smart products for people with disabilities. Ailbhe Keane's Izzy offers custom wheels to wheelchair users. The market-ready idea empowers users to make their chairs their own by designing their own wheels.

Aumentarm by Megan Tissington addresses the need for a low-cost functional prosthetic for children. These cost thousands and need to be changed every six months to fit growing kids. Tissington is offering a service to download them for €400-€600 and then send to a Dutch 3D printing company.

Two fashion graduates to watch are Aideen Gaynor, who won a bursary and mentoring from Brown Thomas for her Japanese-inspired shapes in quilted black silk, satin and neoprene, and Gráinne Walley, who applies hand-crochet methods to chunky natural yarns, inspired by a childhood visit to Clare Island.

Garreth Smith has transformed discarded foil-lined crisp packets into Bruscair Boards, skateboards with a distinctly Irish provenance. The NCAD graduate show runs until June 26th; ncad.ie