︎

Artist Biography

︎Sharon Murphy
is a visual artist based between Dublin and Paris. She is also a curator with a previous career in theatre. Her art 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: GOMA, Waterford (2026) Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (2025/26). University Gallery, UMass, Boston (2025/2026), Photo Museum Ireland (2025), Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris (2024), Limerick City Gallery (2024), Draíocht, National Gallery of Ireland (2023), RHA Annual invired (2023) 

 Murphy is a co-founding member of Shell/Ter Artist Collective (S/TAC). Her work is held is in private + public collections.  

Murphy is supported by Culture Ireland, the Arts Council of Ireland, Carlow County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Photo Museum Ireland, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast and Draíocht 

Artist Biography

Sharon Murphy is a visual artist based between Dublin and Paris. She is also a curator with a previous career in theatre. Her art 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: GOMA, Waterford (2026) Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (2025/26). University Gallery, UMass, Boston (2025/2026), Photo Museum Ireland (2025), Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris (2024), Limerick City Gallery (2024), Draíocht, National Gallery of Ireland (2023), RHA Annual invired (2023)

Murphy is a co-founding member of Shell/Ter Artist Collective (S/TAC). Her work is held is in private + public collections.  

Murphy is supported by Culture Ireland, the Arts Council of Ireland, Carlow County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Photo Museum Ireland, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast and Draíocht.


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



CURRENT

2026

July / Aug 2026
Mise en abyme
GOMA Waterford  
Curated by Jenna Whelan
Opening 6-8pm 23 July by Cristín Leach

https://www.gomawaterford.ie/exhibitions/mise-en-abyme-sharon-murphy/



May - August 9 
Cheval en Scéne
196th RHA Annual


https://rhagallery.viewingrooms.com/artworks/categories/11/6879-sharon-murphy-cheval-en-scene/



UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

October 2026- Jan 2027
Solo Draíocht

SOLO AND 2/3 PERSON EXHIBITIONS 

2025
May-June
Mise en abyme
Golden Thread Gallery , Belfast
Curated by Sarah McAvera

https://goldenthreadgallery.co.uk/event/mise-en-abyme-sharon-murphy/


May-June
Mise en abyme
Photo Museum Ireland, Dublin
Curated by Trish Lambe & Darren Campion

https://photomuseumireland.ie/exhibition/sharon-murphy-mis-en-abyme/


2024
November~December
Mise en abyme
Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris 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


2025/26

Nov 2025- Feb 2026
Insight into the Other (group)
University Gallery UMass, Boston
Curated by Sam Toabe and Sarah McAvera

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


2025

Artistic Licence, The Gloss Magazine by Penny McCormick

https://thegloss.ie/artistic-license-sharon-murphy/

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 Mag
© Sharon Murphy 2026