Kilkenny Skate Park
The Arts Office worked with the skateboarders throughout the summer in order to engage them in the process of enhancing the Skate Park by getting it painted by a professional artist. The young people worked with the Arts Officer to develop the design brief and to select the artist ensuring their ownership and connection to the outcome. The selected artist was Cian Walker. The painting of the Park was completed in line with our original schedule and it has made an enormous difference to the aesthetic of the park and feedback to date has been extremely positive.
Cian Walker is an artist with a history in graffiti and mural work. He has been an active member of the Irish street art scene since 1997 and this has presented him with amazing opportunities to travel and paint, nationally and internationally including Vancouver, New York, Montreal, Germany and Holland. His work is geometrically-inspired, abstract and futuristic. Drawing from the urban environment and architecture, some works are more minimal, while others are much more intricately designed. The aesthetics of skate culture have been an influence on him for as long as he can remember, in particular the Thrasher logo which was a big part of the reason for his early interest in typography. The energy of skating is something that he finds immensely exciting and aligns with his musical taste, and draws parallels with the vibrancy of graffiti and the importance of community amongst subcultures.
