Mary O’Connor

Mary is a visual artist living in Sandycove, Co Dublin. Born in Wexford she studied visual communication and 3D design at TU in Dublin, and painting at Chelsea College of Art, London and in New Zealand. She has lived in Belize and (for eleven years) in Kazakhstan. During her time there she published two books of photojournalism on Central Asia. She repatriated in 2014.
A member of Black Church Print Studio, Mary has been selected for many group exhibitions including the RHA Annual Exhibition, RUA Annual Exhibition and Cairde. Her work is included in many public and private collections including The Office of Public Works, The Environmental Protection Agency, Wexford County Council Collection, The Devlin Hotel, The Dean Hotel, Holles St. Hospital Collection, Beat FM Waterford and CITI. Most recently she has completed a commission for four large-scale wall murals in Capitol Dock, Dublin. She participated in OVER NATURE, a touring exhibition, curated by Valeria Ceregini. and is recipient of the Galway County Council Purchase prize, Impressions Biennale 2019. She was commissioned to make work for DLR Artworks Home, supported by The Arts Council. Her Solo Exhibition KEEL opened at SO Fine Art Editions in Powerscourt Town House Centre on August 22 2020.

Keel is my recent exhibition where I explored the roots that gave rise to one of the most important elements of my practice – colour. Influenced by two worlds, diametrically opposed to each other on the globe. New Zealand and Ireland. Initiated into one and matured into the other my Visual Art practice is a marriage of both worlds. The Keel symbolically acts as the central element connecting both of these realities now merging as one. The paintings and prints in this exhibition exploit numerous possibilities summed up following a recent visit to New Zealand, the vast landscapes encountered on my travels are conveyed through shape, space, colour and gestural mark making that emerge as non-representational abstract compositions.

Antipodes : Balance : Ballast : Central : Cloud : Colour : Currents : Deep : Depth Diametric : Draft : Drop : Fixed : Floating : Grounding : Hemisphere : Hidden : Lean Linier : Movement : Mystery: Northern : Ocean : Opposites : Polar : Port : Pressure Reverse : Righting : Ripple : Silence : Sonar : Southern : Stability : Starboard : Tilt Underside : Wave