ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

ÚNA KAVANAGH

Úna Kavanagh holds a B.A. & M.A. from the National College Of Art & Design, Dublin, Ireland. She has worked extensively across disciplines for over 30 years in her native Ireland, UK, America, France and the Middle East.

A figurative artist whose work includes sculpture, text, painting, drawing, performance, film, installation, animation, script writing, music composition, Performance Art and Live Art durational performances. Her practice ranges from extensive work in theatre, film, television and radio to her artistic collaborations.

She has exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions for the last 25 years. Her work is held in private collections both here and the Middle East. She represented Ireland in “Art By Country” in Abu Dhabi 2014 and again in 2019. She was shortlisted for the SKY Arts Ignition award as part of TATSOI (Art/Science Collaboration) and was the 1st Artist In Residence for the Inaugural Festival Of Curiosity in 2013.

Selected for the Florence Biennale which took place in October 2017.

A former member of  Mart Studios she works from her studio in Dublin & Belfast.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

 2015   “Modern Irish Music” Exhibition in The Long Hall, Smock Alley. Dublin.

A collection of Special Edition Prints and Pen & Ink drawings inspired by the music compositions of Irish contemporary composers Linda Buckley, Michael Mc Glynn, Deirdre Mc Kay, Chris Moriarty-Pearson, Jane O’Leary, Eric Sweeney and Martin Tourish.

Úna also created a Live Art performance with – RTE Contempo String Quartet, Triona Marshall on Harp and Gavin Brennan Saxophone. Creating 10 large ink paintings in response to the live music.

2014   “Fata Morgana” ArtHub, Liwa, U.A.E.(Performance Art)

2007    Her largest multi-media Visual Art exhibition (over 100 artworks) that took place in Dublin. It included a retrospective of earlier work alongside new pieces. Works included bronze & ceramic sculptures, paintings, drawings and an illustrated book and animation about Climate Change voiced by Kavanagh. She collaborated with the composer David Frew who provided the original score.

2000   Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition. Mendocino, California.

2000   “Úna Kavanagh at The Mule Rooms”. Kilmainham Mills, Dublin. (Sculpture, Ceramics, Paintings)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020   ART for ARC  online auction. Mixed media painting.

2019   “ALDHAFRA CAMEL FESTIVAL” Painting. 120cm x 150cm, acrylic, mixed media, gold leaf and pure gold pigments. Liwa. U.A.E.

2018   “Globe On Earth” 100 Globes, National Tour (Sculpture & Special edition of Fable ‘Once Upon A Time”)

2015   “Hidden” Group Exhibition at The Doorway Gallery in association with Robert Lee Mulcahy. (Works in bronze, ceramic and watercolour)

2015   “Humroginals” & Mercurian Tomsty”, at The Open Window Gallery, Dublin. (Bronze)

2015   ” A Patch Of Green” Dhusit Thani, Abu Dhabi.(Large works oil on canvas)

2014   “Art by Country” Abu Dhabi .U.A.E.(Large works on canvas & Film)

2013   “The Blue Leaf Gallery Show” (Bronze)

2009   “Art 250” Dublin & Cil Riallig  Ballinskelligs, Kerry(Oil on canvas)

2008   “Artists for Tara” Dublin (Bronze)

1993   “NCAD Master’s Group Show”, The Royal Hibernian Academy.    (Large Ceramic Sculptures & Mixed Media)

1993   “Design at HQ Gallery”, Crafts Council of Ireland (Ceramic Sculpture)

1993   “R.D.S. Craft Exhibition” (work in Architectural Ceramics)

1992   “162nd Annual RHA Exhibition” (Large Ceramic Sculpture)

1992   “Sculpture In Context”, Fernhill Gardens(Large Ceramic Sculpture)

1991   “Oireachtas”, The Church, Dublin (Large Ceramic Sculpture)

1991   B.A. Group Show. N.C.A.D. (Large Ceramic Sculptures & Miked Media)

PERFORMANCE ART

2019   “Ceaseless” at The Manchester International Festival – ANU.

2018   “Floats In The Aether” in collaboration with Amanda Coogan,

The National Gallery Of Ireland.

2014   ” Fata Morgana”, Art Hub Inaugural International Exhibition, Liwa,Empty Quarter. U.A.E.

2013   “13 Women”, In collaboration with Amanda Coogan, Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin .-ANU.

2012   “Taking To the Bed”,  The Phizz Fest, Dublin- ANU.

2012   “Linenopolis in “What if”. The Sunken Gallery, The Mac, Belfast- ANU/Prime-Cut/The Mac.

ARTISTIC COLLABORATION WITH ANU PRODUCTIONS (2010-2021)

Úna has been a company member with multi-award winning ANU Productions since 2010, creating, writing and collaborating on 4 Performance art works, 12 Live Art Theatre-works & Film works. She is currently developing “Goat Songs” with the company.

ART/SCIENCE (2011-2013)

Úna co-founded “TATSOI” an ART/SCIENCE collaboration (2011-2013) who were shortlisted for the SkyARTS Ignition award 2013/14.

Work during this period included a National Tour of “That’s About The Size Of It”, an interactive visual performance piece about “What If?” moments in life, CERN, String Theory & Dimensions.

“Sum-Cumalative Reader” an interactive digital experience embedded in technology,  paintings, film and live performance, for “LIVE COLLISION”, Ireland’s foremost Live Art Festival. 2013.

TATSOI were the inaugural Artist’s In Residence for Dublin’s “FESTIVAL OF CURIOSITY” 2013, the legacy festival from Dublin, European City of Science 2012. For their residency they created an IOS interactive app and sound installation based on Curiosity, Eureka and Aha moments win people’s lives.

Úna also created a Live Art performance in Temple Bar Galleries where she created eight canvasses based on 30 interviews into Curiosity, Inspiration and Eureka moments in life.

Úna also composed the score that accompanied the audio installation.

2021 Art’s Council Agility Award in Visual Art.

2020 Actor as Creator award from Screen Ireland

2019 International Residency, Art Hub, Liwa, UAE, representing Ireland.

2014 International Residency at ARTHUb AbuDhabi representing Ireland.

1993 Úna was awarded The Royal Dublin Society Decorative and Architectural Ceramic  Certificate of Merit  and the Associateship of The National College of Art & Design. ANCAD.