Miriam McConnon

Dublin-born Miriam McConnon immerses herself in other people’s lives. She takes an intense interest in individual stories. 

Her current practice examines the domestic narrative of displaced persons following conflict, looking at the parallel between the refugee and the non refugee over the last five decades. Mc Connon works in installation, drawing and painting.

The figure is absent in Miriam’s paintings giving these objects priority on the canvas, in doing so Miriam attempts to archive the objects and preserve the stories that they carry with them, revealing a glimpse at a life and a story in time. 

Click here to watch a short film made in February 2020, where the artist talks about the importance of the cup in her work
Art Education         

1999-2000 Post-Graduate Diploma Fine Art, Cyprus College of Art, Lemba, Cyprus

1995-1999  BA in Fine Art Painting, N.C.A.D., Dublin
Solo exhibitions
2023
The Refugee’s Armour, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.

The Refugee's Armour, Diatopos Centre for Contemporary Art, Nicosia, Cyprus.

2022
'Lost Lace'
Displaced Privilege, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin. 
2019
Domestic Resistance, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin. 
2018
Maid at Home, Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
2017
'In Life's Pocket', solo show at the Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.
2016
'Domestic Landscapes', Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
2014
'Threads in Time', Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
2012
'My Mackintosh box', Talbot Gallery, Dublin.
'The Persistence of Memory', Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
2011
'Traces of a life - Recent drawings', Rouan Gallery, Limassol, Cyprus.
2010
Voices from the Catacombs', Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
2008
'Silent Innocence', Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
'Recent Work', The Lemon Street Gallery, Dublin.

Two-Person Exhibitions

2017
'Silent Stories': a two-person exhibition with Eoin Mac Lochlainn, curated by Olivier Cornet Gallery, Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick.
2007
'Recent Paintings', The Lemon Street Gallery, Dublin.

2006
'Recent Work', The Lemon Street Gallery, Dublin.

2003

 'Emerging Artists', Art Select, Dublin.

Group Exhibitions

2025

'Out of Lines', Bloomsday / Summer group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.

'DRAWSPACE', group show, Oasispace, Limassol, Cyprus.

'Palimpsest', group show, Municipal Gallery, Limassol, Cyprus.

Punktum Berlin, group show, 4th Wall Gallery, Berlin.

'Art Evolve 2025', contemporary art fair at the RDS, with the Olivier Cornet Gallery.

'Cad atá de Dhíth Orainn?/What do we want?', travelling group show, An Gailearaí, Gweedore, co. Donegal.

Bloodroot, group show, Pulchri Studio, The Hague, Netherlands.


2024

Contrast, winter group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.

National Heritage Week 2024, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.

Pink is my colour, group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.


2023

'1515', group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.

'My favourite artwork at the Olivier Cornet Gallery', Olivier Cornet gallery, Dublin. 

'Compendium', winter group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.


2022

'2012-2022, a decade of exhibitions at Olivier Cornet Gallery', anniversary group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.

'The Covid Years', group show, Paliailektriki, Paphos, Cyprus.

'Stories of Intimacy', group show at the Municipal Art Centre - Apothikes Papadakis, Limassol, Cyprus

Outrageaous, Obscene and Offensive, Bloomsday group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery.

Boundaries, Exhibit 8, Limassol, Cyprus.

Stories of Intimacy', Municipal Art Centre - Apothikes Papadakis, Limassol, Cyprus.


2021

Memento, Looking back, Looking forward, Winter group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery.


2020

'On Paper', Winter group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery.

'Sculpture in Context 2020', Ireland. Work presented:  an installation titled Lost Lace.

Rua Red Winter Show, Dublin.

Royal Ulster Academy (RUA) Annual exhibition, Belfast, N Ireland.

'Resurfacing', group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery.

'The Morphing Feminine', Bloomsday group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery.

‘Drawing on Don Quixote', group show curated by the Olivier Cornet Gallery (first shown at Wexford Festival Opera in October 2019 and VUE Contemporary Art Fair, RHA Dublin in November 2020)


2019

‘Somewhere between perception and reality', group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery (first shown at VUE Contemporary Art Fair, RHA Dublin with Olivier Cornet Gallery, November 2018)


2018

 ‘2° C’, group show group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery (first shown at VUE Contemporary Art Fair, RHA Dublin with Olivier Cornet Gallery, November 2017)


2017
‘Elevation’, group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery (first shown at VUE Contemporary Art Fair, RHA Dublin with Olivier Cornet Gallery, November 2016).

2016
'Effleurements', group show, Olivier Cornet Gallery. Dublin. Click here to see the painting acquired by the OPW for the collection of the Irish State. Another Miriam McConnon painting in that show, namely 'The Tailor', was used by Le Monde Diplomatique in July 2021 to accompany a Daniel Finn article about "the two Irelands" and Brexit.
2015-2014
'6th Beijing Biennale' Beijing, China
'RHA Annual Exhibition', R.H.A., Dublin.
'Claremorris Open', Claremorris, Mayo.
'IX Biennale of drawing', Pilsen, Czech Republic.
2012
 'International drawing biennale', Wroclaw, Poland.
'VIII Biennale of drawing, Pilsen, Czech Republic.
'5th Beijing Biennale', Beijing, China.
'The Art of Denial', Haroupomilos Art space, Paphos, Cyprus.
2010
 '50 years of Cypriot creativity', Nicosia, Cyprus.
2007
'Group Show', Riverside Studios, London, England.
'Christmas show', Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
2006
'Time Line', Bank of Ireland, Dublin.
2005
 'Summer show', Cross Gallery, Dublin.
2004
'Christmas show', Piers Feetham Gallery, London, England.
'Summer show', Cross Gallery, Dublin
'Group show', Barbara Stanley Gallery, London, England.
2003
'Three Person Show', Cross Gallery, Dublin
'Group show', Piers Feetham Gallery, London, England.
'Christmas show', Cross Gallery, Dublin.
2002
'Group show', Berkley Gallery, Grennan Mill, Kilkenny.
'Christmas show', Art Select Gallery, Dublin.
2000 
'Off the wall', Lobby Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus.
1999
'Fine Art Degree Show', RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin.
1998
'Absolute Secret', RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin.

Public Commissions

2019 
Tama and The Rose, Eco Art project, commissioned by Geroskipou Municipality and the Cyprus Ministry of Culture.

2017
Cementography Project, Paphos old Town, commissioned by Paphos 2017 European Capital of Culture.

2017
The House of Letters, Almyra Hotel, Paphos, Cyprus, commissioned by the Bank of Cyprus

2013
'The Touring Tama', Merrion Square, Dublin. Commission for the presidency of the EU 2013
2012
'The Megalo Tama, outdoor installation in Paphos, Cyprus, Commission for the presidency of the EU 2012
Collections
Central Bank, Nicosia, Cyprus; Electricity Supply Board (AIK), Nicosia, Cyprus; Municipal Art Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus; Municipal Art Gallery, Limassol, Cyprus; Barclays Bank, Ireland; OPW State Art Collection, Ireland; Wesley College, Dublin; RTE Television Network, Ireland; Our Lady's Hospice, Dublin, Embassy of Ireland, Nicosia, Cyprus (collection of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland)

Private collections in Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Cyprus, UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, Australia, South Africa, Greece, Belgium and the USA. 

The artist currently lives and works in Cyprus.