Bio
Karen Conway
Karen Conway is an Irish artist and educator based in Galway. She studied in IADT, Dublin and completed postgraduate study in Limerick School of Art & Design and The Crawford College of Art, Cork. She works through drawing, usually pencil on paper. In 2023, she was awarded an international residency with ARE Holland, where she exhibited her drawings at B93 Atelier Stichting en Kunstenaarsinitiatie in Enschede, The Netherlands. During the same year, she received the Tyrone Guthrie Centre bursary from Galway City Council, leading to a residency at the center. Conway was also a featured artist in a recently published book by Thames and Hudson, released in September 2023, focusing on contemporary drawing.
In 2019, she completed a residency supported by the Science Foundation of Ireland with CÚRAM in the National University of Ireland. She was then granted a Covid-19 special project award in 2020 by the Arts Council of Ireland. This award facilitated her exploration of subject matter related to the Medtech/Pharma industry in Ireland. She was shortlisted for the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, London in 2021 and also had drawings acquired that year by Aerogen Pharma and Novartis, Ireland. Her work is held in the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery collection and Microsoft Ireland and is kindly supported by The Irish Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Residencies & Studio Membership
2023 - ARE Holland, B93 Atelier Stichting en Kunstenaarsinitiatief, Enschede, The Netherlands
2023 - Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Co Monaghan
2020 - 2023 Drawing/Domestic Space
2019 - 2020 NUI, Biosciences Research Building, NUI, Galway
2015 - 2018 Drawing/Domestic Space
2013 - 2014 Drawing Process, University Hospital, Galway
2011 - 2013 The Crescent Surgery Studio, Galway
2005 - 2009 Engage Artists Studios, Middle Street, Galway
1994 - 1998 Backwater Artists Studios, Pine Street, Cork
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023 Trace, B93 Kunst & Ateliers, Enschede, The Netherlands
2021 Project Y, Solo Show https://karenconway.work/#/project-y/ Engage Gallery, Galway
2020 Pressure,Solo Show https://karenconway.work/#/pressure/
Released online (COVID) & Projection-Mapped, Spanish Arch & Ballybane, Galway https://karenconway.work/#/projection-mapping/ Short film documentary https://vimeo.com/488543428
2014 An+Aisthēsis Galway International Arts Festival, University College Hospital http://www.giaf.ie/news/the-art-of-anaesthetics
2007 These Things Take Time, The White Room Gallery, Galway.
2006 Transcendence University Hospital Galway & Fairgreen Gallery, TULCA curated by Sarah Searson & Cliodhna Shaffrey
2005 Everyone’s a Curator Nowadays, Engage Arts Studios, Middle street, Galway
1999 Snapshot, The South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Co.Tipperary
1997 Karen Conway, Paintings & Drawings from the Brighton 1960’s Project, The Blackcombe Gallery, MacCurtain street, Cork
Two Person Exhibition
2022 Magic, Metallic, Saliva Two Person Show with Tadhg Ó Cuirrín, 126 Gallery, Galway
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021/22 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Exhibition
Selected by Sheela Gowda, Artist, Simon Groom, Director of Modern and Contemporary Art at National Galleries Scotland, and Zoé Whitley, Director of Chisenhale Gallery, London.
Trinity Buoy Wharf, London
Drawing Projects UK, Trowbridge, Wiltshire
The Cooper Gallery, University of Dundee, Scotland
2022 Galway International Arts Festival, Engage Gallery, curated by Rita Mc Mahon
2013 Galway Arts Centre, Tulca Golden Mountain, curated by Valerie O’Connor
REV Faber Studios, Limerick
2010 Put a Lid on it, Galway Arts Centre, Dominick Street, Galway, curator Maeve Mulrennan
2009 Galway Arts Festival, 59 Steps, Engage Art Studios, Galway
2008 An Taibhdhearc, selected by Brian Maguire
2007 Clifden Arts Festival, invited guest artist by Jame Harrold, City Arts Officer
2005 New Territory, City Hall, Galway, , curated by Blaise Drummond
1999 An Damhlan, Kenny Gallery, Spiddal, Co. Galway
1998 The Mill Gallery, Backwater artists group show, Drimoleague, Cork
1997 Short Circuit, The Dolmen Gallery, Honan’s Quay, Limerick
Backwater Artists, Wexford Arts Center, Wexford & Tig Fili, Cork
1996 Semestre Irlandes, Irish Artists in Italy, Varese, Milan, Italy
1995 The Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork
1993 Brownes Gallery, Dawson street, Dublin
Press & Websites
2023 B93, Holland https://areholland.com/artists/
2021 Drawing Projects UK & Parker Harris
VAI https://visualartists.ie/events/project-y-karen-conway-at-engage-studios/ 2021
2020 NUI,Galway, CÚRAM, Science Foundation Ireland, Connacht Tribune, Galway Advertiser, 2020
2014 ARENA, RTE Radio 1, Interview with Sean Rocks. Listen: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/arena/programmes/2014/0714/630738-arena-monday-14-july-2014/?clipid=1629381
The Irish Times, Aidan Dunne
The Galway Advertiser & The Galway Independent
Galway Bay FM, Interview for GIAF
2006 The Irish Times - Aidan Dunne Review 2006
RTE Interview with Tina Neylon
2005 - 2007 The Galway Advertiser, The Galway Independent.
1999 The Clonmel Nationalist.
1997 & 1999 The Sunday Times,
1997 The Examiner
1995 The Cork Examiner
1994 An Suil Gear, Cork Magazine
Collections
Novartis, Aerogen, UHG Galway, Bank of Ireland, The Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork, Microsoft Ireland, Private collections
Awards
2023 ARE Residency award B93, The Netherlands & Galway City Council Tyrone Guthrie Bursary Award
2021 & 2023 Arts Council Agility Award
2021 Arts Council Professional Training Award
2020 Arts Council Ireland Award Covid-Response Award
2020 Arts Council Ireland Professional Development Award
2019/2020 CÚRAM Residency Award, supported by National University Ireland, Galway Science Foundation Ireland &, Galway City Council
2013 Leonardo da Vinci travel award, Padua, Italy
Publications (included)
2023 Artist Spotlight Page (August 2023 Release Date, ‘Drawing and Painting: Materials and Techniques for Contemporary Artists’, Kate Wilson, published by Thames & Hudson)
2022 Sketchbooks featured and referenced artist in new Leaving Cert Art Specification 2022
2020 Bothar na Trá, Engage Studios, Salthill
CIT/LSAD/IADT Catalogues
Backwater Studio Catalogues
Engage Studio Catalogues
Artist/Teacher Practice-Based Research
2023 B93 Atelier Stichting en Kunstenaarsinitiatief, Enschede, The Netherlands Artist talk
2022, 12th February, Speaker in Drawing Lockdown 1 Symposium, Online with Drawing Projects UK & Drawing is Free, Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cv2eGAE8Oc&t=5501s
2021 Online Drawing Discussion with Professor Anita Taylor, Dean of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design at the University of Dundee
2019/2020 CÚRAM Artist in Residence
Public engagement with the Eastside community was central to the development of the project and Conway engaged with Croí, Baboró, Coláiste Mhuirlinne, Galway Mosque, Ballybane Library and the Ard Centre amongst others, delivering workshops and incorporating the local communities ideas into the production of new work. Due to the pandemic, the work was disseminated online and was then installed in Ballybane Library, the Ard Family Resource Centre, and Coláiste Mhuirlinne
2020 SCCUL Center, Ballybane Public Talk for CROI and the local community
2020 Baboró Workshop, Ballybane Library
2017/18 Artist/Teacher in residence as a participant in the CÚRAM Bioscience program, NUI in association with Dr. Sarah Gundy
2014 Presented MEd Paper on ‘Drawing for Cognition’, referencing an action research project that focused on drawing as a tool for learning at the symposium on teaching and learning in LSAD
2013 Research into the use of Web 2.0 technologies in education with a focus especially on hybrid learning, collective authoring, and the freedom to share and reuse within a climate of open communication. Emphasis placed on content and content collections developed by and for the user community
LSAD research (VLE) for general course management, but also in relation to peer-led electronic discourse and contribution-oriented pedagogy.
2013 Galway Arts Center, delivered an artist talk for NCAD curatorial students
2012 Interviewed Dr. Aine Phillips as part of REV and published a review of her NUIG Performance Symposium and Exhibition
2006 Attended Drawing Symposium, DIT, Dublin Speakers included Brian Fay, Dr. Suin Hanrahan, NCAD, Catherine De Zegher, Director of the Drawing Lab, New York.
Teaching
Full Time Teacher/Tutor