BIOGRAPHY

Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh (b 1977) graduated with a BA in Fine Art Painting from Dublin Institute of Technology in 2001. In 2010 Ní Mhaonaigh was recipient of the Hennessy Craig Scholarship and was awarded The HOTRON Award 2019 by VISUAL Carlow for outstanding work. She was shortlisted for the Marmite Prize for Painting 2016, and the John Moores Painting Prize 2018. Ní Mhaonaigh is represented by the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin, and 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel, New York. Ní Mhaonaigh was recently elected a member of the RHA.

Recent solo exhibitions include Structure (2022) at 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel; Struchtúr (2022), Dúil Series (2021) and Teorainn (2020) at Kevin Kavanagh Gallery; Cnuasach (2021) at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre; and Macalla (2020) at Mermaid Arts Centre. Ní Mhaonaigh exhibited as part of VOLTA New York in a solo presentation in 2016, and her work has been presented at major international art fairs, including Art Market Budapest and VOLTA Basel. Ní Mhaonaigh’s paintings are held in many important public collections, including the Centre Culturel Irlandais (Paris), Crawford Art Collection (Cork), Butler Gallery Collection (Kilkenny), Ernesto Ventós (Barcelona), Luciano Benetton Collection (Treviso), O’Brien Art Collection (Chicago) and The Arts Council of Ireland (Dublin), as well as private collections in Ireland, across Europe and in the Unites States.

A substantial publishing archive has developed around Ní Mhaonaigh’s painting practice over the years, with her exhibitions attracting significant media coverage, as well as critical and scholarly engagement through the inclusion of her work in a vast range of catalogues, books, journals and periodicals. Ní Mhaonaigh is regularly invited to deliver public lectures and participate in conferences, while she also widely contributes to Irish language broadcasting across radio and television.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh is innately concerned with the material qualities of paint, and the physical act of painting itself. Resisting the confinements of allegory, she earnestly engages with painting as its own autonomous language. Much like a poet, Ní Mhaonaigh is interested in ambiguity and in anachronisms. It has been said that she is a painter who suggests rather than represents. Over the past two decades, Ní Mhaonaigh has presented solo exhibitions whose titles comprise singular words, derived from the Irish language, that describe the lived environment. These include Struchtúr, Cnuasach, Imlíne, Eatramh, Imeall, and Ardán – which translate into English as Structure, Cluster, Contour, Interval, Margin, and Platform. This litany of nouns serves to emphasise prevailing concerns in her work, relating to the exploration and elaboration of bounded space. One is free to interpret this in formal terms, as the construction of pictorial architecture, or as a gesture towards more symbolic or enigmatic spaces. Indeed, rather than addressing the particular or the parochial, Ní Mhaonaigh’s paintings achieve an ‘opening up’ of landscape to consider universal themes of language, ancestry, and timeless depictions of place.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Born in 1977, Dublin, Ireland.

EDUCATION

  • 2001 BA Fine Art Dublin Institute of Technology

  • 2018 Elected an Associate Member of the Royal Hibernian Academy

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

  • 2023 The Custom House Gallery, County Mayo

  • 2022 Rathfarnham Castle, County Dublin

  • Structure, 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel, New York

  • Struchtúr, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2021 Oonagh Young Gallery, Dublin

  • Cnuasach, Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Cork

  • Dúil Series, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2020 The Dock, County Leitrim, curated by Sarah Searson

  • Macalla, Mermaid Arts Centre, County Wicklow

  • Teorainn, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2018 Achar, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2016 Galway University Hospital, Galway

  • Dúil, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick

  • Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh, VOLTA NY, New York

  • Ardán, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2015 Imlíne, The Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick

  • Anthony Slayter-Ralph Fine Art, Los Angeles

  • Imlíne, Mermaid Arts Centre, County Wicklow

  • 2014 Triskell Christchurch, Cork

  • The Motorhouse Gallery, Farmleigh, Dublin

  • Contours, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2013 LUAN Gallery, Athlone

  • 2012 Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • The Living Room Gallery, New York

  • Linenhall Arts Centre, Mayo

  • Millennium Court Arts Centre, Armagh

  • 2011 Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris

  • Highlanes Municipal Gallery, Drogheda

  • Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2010 West Cork Arts Centre, Cork

  • Ard Bia, Galway

  • Dunamaise Arts Centre, Laois

  • The Living Room Gallery, New York

  • Ryan’s Electrical, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Kilkenny

  • 2009 Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford, curated by Clíodhna Shaffrey

  • Galway Arts Centre, Galway

  • 2008 Orange, Weiss, Gelb, Ard Bia, Berlin

  • Ard Bia, Galway

  • Áras Éanna Arts Centre, Inis Oírr, Galway

  • Platform, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2007 County Buildings, County Wicklow

  • 2006 An tImeall, Mermaid Arts Centre, County Wicklow, curated by Pádraic E. Moore

  • Eatramh, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2004 Deoraíocht, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2001 The Chaple, Dublin Institute of Technology, Portland Row, Dublin

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

  • 2022 GENERATION 2022: New Irish Painting, Butler Gallery, Kilkenny, curated by Anna O’Sullivan

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • St.Brigid’s Well, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo

  • 2021 The Annual 44 Art Exhibition, Waterford

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • We Can Dance, Castlefreke, West Cork

  • Pathos, Rathfarnham Castle, County Dublin, curated by Diana Copperwhite

  • Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Municipal Gallery Drogheda

  • Awakening, Pablo’s Birthday, New York

  • Home:Being and Belonging in Contemporary Ireland, The Glucksman, Cork, curated by Christopher Clarke and Fiona Kearney

  • John Moores Painting Prize 2018, digital presentation, Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum, China

  • Meditations in Time of Civil War, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo

  • 2020 RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • Highlanes Open, Highlanes Municipal Gallery Drogheda

  • RHA Collection, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, curated by Eithne Jordan, RHA Keeper

  • Eva Gore-Booth, The Museum of Literature Ireland, UCD Newman House, Dublin

  • 2019 Utopia / Dystopia, Municipal Gallery dlr Lexicon, Dún Laoghaire, curated by Aoife Ruane

  • Peripheries, Periphery Space, Gorey

  • Winter Open, Rua Red Arts Centre, Dublin

  • Silver, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • Legacy, 30th Anniversary of the Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • Dearly Beloved, ARTWORKS 2019, Carlow Arts Festival, VISUAL, Carlow

  • Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen, touring exhibition to: Hamilton Gallery & Yeats Building (Sligo); Irish Consulate, New York

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • St.Brigid’s Day, touring exhibition to the following venues: 12 Star Gallery (London); Hamilton Gallery (Sligo); The Department of Food and Marine (Dublin); Irish Embassy (Berlin)

  • 2018 John Moores Painting Prize, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

  • Group Show, The Custom House Studios, County Mayo

  • Cairde Arts Festival, The Model, Sligo

  • Island Life, Westport Arts Festival, The Custom House Studios, County Mayo

  • Peripheries, Municipal Gallery dlr Lexicon, Dún Laoghaire

  • Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Municipal Gallery, Drogheda

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • 2017 Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • Wexford Opera Festival, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Invited Artist

  • 2016 Wexford Opera Festival, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford

  • The Marmite Prize for Painting V, Highlanes Municipal Gallery, Drogheda

  • Informed Painting, Pablo’s Birthday, New York

  • The Marmite Prize for Painting V, Block 336, London

  • Hermione Art Exhibition, ALEX 150, Alexandra College, Dublin

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • 2015 Hold to the Now, S L A G Gallery, New York

  • Group Show, S L A G Brunswick Gallery, New York

  • Wexford Opera Festival, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford

  • Here and Now, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Invited Artist

  • PANORAMA, Pallas Projects, Dublin

  • Cú Chulainn Comforted, Basic Space, Dublin, curated by Joshua Sex

  • Home, Municipal Gallery, dlr Lexicon, Dún Laoghaire

  • 2014 Colección olar VISUAL, Museu d’Art de Cerdanyola MAC, Barcelona

  • Wexford Opera Festival, Greenacres Gallery, Wexford

  • Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • Chancery Lane, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Laois

  • Instant Crush, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2013 40/40/40, Office of Public Works touring exhibition to the following venues: Centro Cultural Conde Duque (Madrid, Spain); Biblioteka Universidad (Warsaw, Poland); Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Palazzo della Farnasina, (Rome, Italy); Rathfarnham Castle (Dublin); OPW Headquarters (Trim, Meath).

  • Selective Perspectives, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • 2012 Into the Light, 60th Anniversary of the Arts Council, Crawford Art Gallery, curated by Dawn Williams

  • Last, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin

  • Assembly, Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Municipal Gallery

  • Group Exhibition, Ron Mandes, Amsterdam

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • MIND HEAD, JiM Contemporani, Barcelona, curated by Rose Burlingham

  • 2011 Room Outside, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • The Pink Show, Harlem Townhouse, New York, curated by Rose Burlingham

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • Unfolding Collections, Galway Arts Centre, Galway

  • 2010 UNBUILDING, two person exhibition with Bea McMahon, Mermaid Arts Centre, curated by Clíodhna Shaffrey and Rosie Lynch

  • Recent Acquisitions, Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Municipal Gallery

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • Regarding Painting, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • Group Show, Living Room Gallery, New York

  • Preview, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • 2009 Above the Fold, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • Futures, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, curated by Patrick T. Murphy & Ruth Carroll

  • AIB Art Prize, AIB Headquarters, Dublin

  • 2008 Group Therapy, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

  • Boyle Arts Festival, County Roscommon

  • Greenstar Open, Mermaid Arts Centre, curated by Theo Dorgan

  • 2007 Emerging Artists ( and some old friends ), Boyle Arts Festival, Invited Artist

  • RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Invited Artist Group Show, Wicklow County Buildings, County Wicklow

  • Greenstar Open, Mermaid Arts Centre, curated by Clíodhna Shaffrey

  • 2006 Greenstar Open, Mermaid Arts Centre, curated by Amanda Ralph

  • 2004 Living Landscape, West Cork Arts Centre, Cork, curated by Therry Rudin

  • 2000 DIT Group Exhibition, The Atrium, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin

  • 1999 DIT Group Exhibition, The Atrium, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin

ART FAIRS

  • 2022 Hamptons Fine Art Fair, New York (with 532 Gallery Thomas Jaeckel)

  • Art Rotterdam, Netherlands (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2018 VUE, National Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2017 VUE, National Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2016 VOLTA NY, Solo Presentation, New York (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • VUE, National Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2015 VUE, National Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • VOLTA 11, Basel (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2014 ArtMarket, Budapest (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • VOLTA 10, Basel (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2012 VOLTA 8, Basel (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • VUE, National Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2011 VUE, National Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2010 Art 2010, RDS Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2009 Art 2009, RDS Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2008 Preview Berlin (with Ard Bia Berlin)

  • Art 2008, RDS Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • Art Cologne (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • 2007 Aqua Art 07, Miami USA (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • Year_07 Art Projects, County Hall, London (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

  • Art 2007, RDS Dublin (with Kevin Kavanagh Gallery)

AWARDS

  • 2022 Wicklow County Council Art Bursary

  • 2020 The Dock Commission Highlanes Open (shortlist)

  • 2019 The Hotron ARTWORKS Award

  • Wicklow County Council Art Bursary

  • 2016 The Marmite Prize for Painting V (shortlist)

  • 2014 The Arts Council, Visual Arts Bursary Award

  • 2010 The Hennessy Craig Scholarship

  • Royal Hibernian Academy Studio Award

  • Wicklow County Council Art Bursary

  • 2009 AIB Prize (shortlist)