Secular Shrine Theory explores the idea of the shrine beyond religion — as a personal, inner space for contemplation, connection, and self-awareness. The title draws its meaning from a 19th-century Japanese theory of the same name, according to which Shinto shrines were perceived as secular rather than religious sites — symbols of cultural identity and national memory. In his interpretation, Jordan Ralph transforms this historical concept into a contemporary manifesto — an attempt to discover the sacred in the everyday, the spiritual in the material, and freedom in the act of creation.
The exhibition presents conceptual objects, abstract forms, and spatial compositions that move away from the linear and geometric, seeking more fluid, organic, and intuitive expressions. It is a personal gesture of liberation — a refusal of control and an embrace of the natural flow of form, matter, and sensation.
The project was first presented during Irish Design Week 2024 at The Space Between, Dublin.
About Jordan Ralph:
Jordan Ralph is an architect and interior designer who graduated from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin and the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark. He has worked in Copenhagen with AiAiAi and KiBiSi / BIG Architects, where he developed his distinctive style and interest in innovative and sustainable design.
In 2014, he founded his own studio in Dublin — Jordan Ralph Design, focused on creating authentic, conceptual, and multisensory spaces. His work spans exhibitions, conceptual objects, commercial and residential interiors, as well as spatial installations that intertwine material, idea, and emotion.
His projects have received wide recognition — including participation in the Global Irish Design Challenge, an IDI Award for sustainable design, and inclusion among “50 People to Watch” by The Irish Times and “Nineteen for ’19” by Totally Dublin.
Jordan Ralph is a guest lecturer at the MELBA International Symposium 2025. His participation in the festival is supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Bulgaria.
