Orla Whelan: Sulphur exhibition in Cork takes inspiration from UCC's geology collection 

The artist has long had an interest in geology but her fascination with sulphur was sparked by the rocks in UCC's Geology Department, she tells Marc O’Sullivan Vallig

Orla Whelan's current exhibition is at the Lavit in Cork. 

Orla Whelan’s new exhibition at the Lavit Gallery in Cork is called Sulphur, and takes its inspiration from the chemical element associated with everything from medieval alchemy to modern agricultural fertilisers.

Whelan has long had an interest in geology, but her fascination with sulphur was sparked by a meeting set up in 2025 by the Lavit’s director Brian MacDomhnaill with Jess Franklin, the communications and development support manager at Backwater Artists’ Group.