Artist Biography
︎Sharon Murphy
Murphy investigates the boundaries between real and fictive spaces within the pictorial frame: concentrating on recurring motifs of theatre curtains; outdoor carousels; circus tents; performative sites; city parks; and empty stages. These scenes become the point of departure for a wider exploration of the tension between hidden and revealed, negative and positive, illusion and disillusion, the uncanny and the unremarkable.
Recent exhibitions: Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, GOMA, Waterford, Limerick City Gallery, Draíocht, National Gallery of Ireland, RHA, Golden Thread Gallery Belfast, Halftone, PhotoIreland, Loop Festival, Barcelona.
Upcoming exhibitions 2025: Photo Museum Ireland, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast.
Murphy is a co-founding member of Shell/Ter Artist Collective (S/TAC). Her work is held is in private + public collections. She works between Dublin and Paris.
Artist Biography
Sharon Murphy is a visual artist whose practice encompasses photography, video and installation. Drawing on a background in theatre and informed by psychoanalysis and magic realism, her work provokes viewers to question what they are seeing, bringing their own histories and narratives to ‘complete’ the meaning of the image. Balancing the theoretical and the experiential (including that of the viewer), Murphy is especially drawn to the inherent binary nature of photography - the tensions of the medium between its real/indexical nature and its unreal/constructed nature. The photograph is simultaneously both record/truth and constructed/staged subject to multiple interpretations, perceptions and distortions by both maker and viewer.Murphy investigates the boundaries between real and fictive spaces within the pictorial frame: concentrating on recurring motifs of theatre curtains; outdoor carousels; circus tents; performative sites; city parks; and empty stages. These scenes become the point of departure for a wider exploration of the tension between hidden and revealed, negative and positive, illusion and disillusion, the uncanny and the unremarkable.
Recent exhibitions: Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, GOMA, Waterford, Limerick City Gallery, Draíocht, National Gallery of Ireland, RHA, Golden Thread Gallery Belfast, Halftone, PhotoIreland, Loop Festival, Barcelona.
Upcoming exhibitions 2025: Photo Museum Ireland, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast.
Murphy is a co-founding member of Shell/Ter Artist Collective (S/TAC). Her work is held is in private + public collections. She works between Dublin and Paris.
Self-Portrait in Nice (2008)CV
Education
Diploma History of European Painting (TCD, 2021)
BA Photography (IADT, 2014)
MA Drama (UCD, 1993)
BA English (NUIM, 1984)
Clore Fellow UK (2007/2008)
Artist Collective
︎S/TAC: Shell/Ter Artist Collective (est. 2020) with Diana Copperwhite, Allyson Keehan, Niamh McGuinne and Geraldine O'Neill.
Studio
︎DIVA Dun Laoghaire Institute for Visual Arts
Exhibitions
SOLO AND 2/3 PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024
November - ~December
Mise en abyme
Centre Culturel Irlandais, commissioned and curated by
Nora Hickey M’Sichili
https://www.centreculturelirlandais.com/en/whats-on/exhibitions-events/sharon-murphy-mise-en-abyme
2019
There and Not There with Victoria J. Dean at Siamsa Tire, Kerry curated by Sarah McAvera
2018
There and Not There with Victoria J. Dean, Golden Thread Gallery curated by Sarah McAvera
2017
Stages solo exhibition at Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise.
2016
Moving On at solo exhibition DanceHouse, Dublin
White Gold at Gallery ‘De Stoker’, Amsterdam with duo Victoria Burgher and Johan vander Dong.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
October - November The Ties that Bind
(S/TAC Shell/Ter Artist Collective) at GOMA Waterford, curated by Jenna Whelan
https://www.gomawaterford.ie/exhibitions/the-ties-that-bind-goma-waterford-shell-ter-artist-collective-s-tac/
June 20 -Sept 2024
in a dream in the happy house
(S/TAC Shell/Ter Artist Collective) at Limerick City Gallery
https://gallery.limerick.ie/INADREAMINAHAPPYHOUSE.html
May - August 2024
194th RHA Annual Exhibition
the ladder is always there
(S/TAC Shell/Ter Artist Collective and invited emerging artists) at Draíocht Dublin, curated by S/TAC
https://www.draiocht.ie/gallery/exhibition/the-ladder-is-always-there
2023
Shelter, National Gallery of Ireland (Print and Drawing Galleries) curated by Anne Hodge (S/TAC artist’s Collective and invited artists and works from the NGI Collection). July - November 2023
https://www.nationalgallery.ie/art-and-artists/exhibitions/shelter
DIVA, Dun Laoghaire Institute Visual Arts - Group Exhibition
RHA (invited Artist) 193rd Annual Exhibition
2022
RHA, 192nd Annual Exhibition.
2021
RHA, 191st Annual Exhibition.
2020
RHA, 190th Annual Exhibition.
2019
Aoife/Cordelia, Search of Her Own Image at RHA, 189th Annual Exhibition.
2018
Halftone, Library Project, Photo Ireland.
RUA 137th Annual Exhibition.
RHA, 188th Annual Exhibition.
Silent Stage at Kukiskes, Lithuania (Yaga Festival). Curators, Mona Casey and Tadas Stalyga.
2017
Homeland at Loop Festival Barcelona and Damer House, Tipperary.
2016/2017
Dog Days at Dunamaise arts Centre. Curators, Therry Rudden and Patricia Hurl.
2016
Group Show at Golden Thread Gallery (Curator Philip McCrilly).
2015/2016
Group show at Dunamaise Arts Centre selected by Eamon Coleman.
Phrases at RUA 134th Annual Exhibition.
2015
Saw Dust curated by Francis Fay at MART, Dublin.
Chasing Shadows at Gallery X, Dublin.
There Was a Child at Loop festival, Damer House Tipperary and Barcelona Loop Festival.
Saibhreas at Damer House Gallery/Dunamaise Arts Centre (Curator, Muireann Ni Chonaill).
Home at DLR Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire (Curator, Mark St John Ellis).
2014/15
Intervals at Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition.
Selkie I at RUA 133rd Annual Exhibition, Belfast
2014
Ingrained Graduate show at Moxie Studios and DLR IADT.
Awards
2024
Recipient of the Artist Professional Development award from Bealtaine Featival Age and Opportunity
2023
Recipient of Individual Artist Grants from Carlow Co Co Arts Office and Dun Laoghaire Co Co Arts Office
2022
Recipient of the Artists Residency (visual arts) Award Centre Culturel Irlandais Paris
Recipient of Artists Bursary Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co Arts Office
2020
Art Council Professional Development Award
2020
Carlow Co Co Arts Grant (R&D Project Award for new series In Search of Her Own Image)
2019
Arts Council Travel and Training Award Royal Academy London
2018
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co Arts Grant (Professional Development Award)
2016
Arts Council Travel & Training Award to Rencontres d’Arles, France
2015/2016
The Golden Thread Gallery Belfast Artists’ Career Enhancement Programme
2014
Dunmaise Arts Centre/Laois Arts Office, artist residency award, Arthouse
Short-listed for Inspirational Arts Award in Photography at DLR IADT
Residencies
2023
Artists Residency at CCI, Paris month long residency (September)
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Tyrone Guthrie Centre Residencies
2017
Artist’s Studio Residency Award, Draíocht
2015–2016
Artist in Residence Dublin Youth Contemporary Dance Company DYDC
2015
Artist in Residence MART Project Space Award, Rathmines Dublin 6
2015
Artist in Residence Award Laois Arthouse and Dunamaise Arts Centre
Featured
2024
Ultra Viiolet Talks with Caren O’Sullivan, a studio interview https://www.instagram.com/p/DBGuzPNsFbe/
2023
Irish Arts Review Autumn
‘but here alone’ a feature by Stephanie McBride on Sharon Murphy’s current practice
https://www.irishartsreview.com/articles/but-here-alone/
2022
192nd RHA Annual featured in ‘Desiring Drapery’ essay in Exhibition Catalogue
2020 and 2019
189th and 190th RHA Annual, included in exhibition catalogue
2019
The Irish Times, RHA Annual Review (photography) by Aidan Dunne
2016
︎Art Reveal 12, 2016 pp 52 – 57