Alison FitzGerald meets Carlow-based designer Sasha Sykes, whose fusion of natural ephemera and architectural lines would satisfy both John Ruskin and Gerrit Reitveld
The Enlightenment vogue for bringing nature indoors through clever design conceits, for emphasizing links between interior spaces and exterior landscapes, and for embracing rusticity find modern parallels in the work of designer Sasha Sykes. A curious but clever dichotomy distinguishes Sykes’ work; ephemeral and organic materials are encased and re-presented in acrylic and resin supports as tables, screens, lamps and sculptural objets d’art. This unlikely marriage allows the organic to shine: one acrylic table features tendrils of ivy, which seem to escape their casing at the margins of the piece. The transparency of materials like plexiglass and resin facilitate these trompe-l’oeil effects, and belie the effort involved in achieving them. A variety of themes permeate Sykes’ work: a strong connection with the use of found materials from her immediate locality, a preoccupation with concepts of value linked to memory and nostalgia, and a whimsical sense of humour.
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