Portrait of John Rocha (b.1953), Designer

Geraldine O'Neill , Irish, b.1971

Title

Date2015

MediumOil on linen

Dimensions

220 x 200 cm

Credit LineCommissioned, National Gallery of Ireland, 2015

Object numberNGI.2015.35

Label TextBorn in Hong Kong, John Rocha moved to England to study fashion in Croydon College. Inspired to come to Ireland in the 1980s, having used Irish linen in his graduate collection, he has lived and worked in Dublin for the past 35 years. Through his love of texture, detail and silhouette he developed a distinctive style, successfully showing his collections in London and Paris. He won the prestigious British Designer of the Year award in 1993, and in 2002 was awarded the CBE. He has continued to extend his work into other creative areas including crystal, jewellery, and interiors.