David Irwin
who won The Peter Walker Award
for Innovation in Furniture
Design 2007.
A NATIONAL award, which honours the memory of
a famous designer born and educated in Lisburn has appropriately
been presented to a graduate from Hillsborough.
Each year a graduating student from one of
the many colleges and universities that exhibit their final year
work at the New Designers Exhibition in London, is selected as a
recipient of the Peter Walker Award and this year it went to
local man David Irwin, 21.
Peter Walker who was educated at Friends'
School and went on to become an architect and top designer,
sadly passed away in 1995. The accolade was inaugurated in 1998
as a way of marking Mr Walker's 40th birthday.
David said that the award means a "huge amount" to him,
especially because it is "judged purely on creative merit."
He continued: "Coming from the same town in
Northern Ireland as Peter has made receiving such recognition
all the more special.
"The award has helped me to engage with
people regarding my work and has provided me with great
opportunities. It has been a fantastic way to end my time at
university and has given me the confidence to not only to pursue
a career in design, but also to pursue a career in something I
love."
Roger Walker-Dack Chairperson of the judging
panel explained why David's designs stood out: "From very fierce
competition we selected David as the 2007 Winner, and I
subsequently discovered after the presentation that he not only
came from Lisburn but was also a pupil at Friends' School.
"The work had an immediate and provocative
impact. David is an excellent multifaceted designer, whose
visual awareness and attention to detail was key to his winning
this award."
jenny.monroe@jpress.co.uk
