Artist with UNTITLED 2,1 & 3, MAAP 2018. Photograph Ros Kavanagh ©2018
“Coming from a background in theatre design, my work revolves around an interest in imaginary spaces and is inspired by the land and seascapes that surround me…”
Photograph Geoff Greenham ©2019
With a foundation in painting: LSAD 1991-94, Johanna Connor’s work developed through her studies at the renowned Motley Theatre Design Course, London, 1996-97. After which she worked successfully as a set and costume designer, designing over 20 productions between 1997-2000 with companies such as Bedrock Theatre Productions, Loose Canon, The Abbey theatre, Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre and branching out into the film world: amongst these were At-Swim-2-Birds - The Abbey, 1998, Fragile - Dublin Fringe Festival, 1999 and Coriolanus - Project @ the Mint 1998, some of which were nominated for awards of distinction.
labyrinth 1 JGC©1994
At-Swim-2-Birds directed by Jimmy Fay @ the Abbey 1998 JGC©
coriolanus a loose canon production directed by jason byrne Project @the mint 1998 design JGC© photograph Ros kavanagh©
Due to a life threatening illness in 2000, Johanna returned to West Cork, where and when her creative path significantly altered. There she began to illustrate, produce 3D work and exhibit paintings.
In 2006, the West Cork Arts Centre presented Nearly There - A work in Progress, an exhibition of the creation of Nearly There a children’s book which she and Gabrielle Byrne co-illustrated & co-wrote from 2002-04 and which she subsequently published & launched in 2012 as an iPad App and a Book with CD.
Nearly There Creatures of Serendipity ©2002
In 2018 she received a master’s degree in: Art & Process, @ CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork and her work from the MAAP exhibition was longlisted for the RDS Visual Arts Award, 2019.
Untitled 2, Untitled 1 , Untitled 3 Longlisted : RDS Visual Arts Awards 2019. Photograph Ros Kavanagh © 2018
Following on from the masters, she did part time lecturing in UCC Drama dept. and co-facilitated a series of drama/visual art community workshops @ the Nano Nagle Centre for the Lantern Project Community.
Absense 4. Alternative views curated by ana ospini @BHG 2019
In 2019, Johanna, was offered the opportunity to take part in Alternative Views, a small group exhibition curated by Ana Ospina for the Blue House Gallery. For this, Absence 1 - 10 , a series of drawings on paper using acrylic spray evolved as she further developed the methods she had begun to explore while on the MA.
She then applied the same techniques to create a series of drawings, for Into the Woods, the WCC annual exhibition.
During 2020/21 under the constraints of lockdown she continued to develop her work and take part in numerous group shows at the BHG, WCAC and WCC annual exhibitions. It is during this time that we can see evidence of pencil and paint brush creeping back into her work.
Grp3 Img10: Roses - 509 - Tulips - Brooklyn
Grp4 Img2: Manhattan Bridge - Moulin Rouge - hole - birds - pink - arch
Originally Indelible was to be the fruits of time spent on the residency in New York. This was the Spring of 2020. A Global Pandemic declared on the 12th March; international air travel halted and borders closed across the globe. Indelible was postponed and the residency cancelled.
And so, to open in September 2021 Indelible would need to find an alternative becoming…
“…using an amalgam of coordinates, imagery and objects , I sought to hint at a tone that expresses a common ubiquity within.”
You’ve got a friend in me
Currently concentrating on the second of two joint exhibitions, with Michael Quane RHA. The first was @ BlueHouseGallery, Schull, August 2024 and the second will open at the Lavit Gallery, Cork, 22nd. May - 14th June 2025.
Paper - Pencil - Chisel - Stone is an exhibition of work determined through the act of drawing on the artists respective media of paper and stone.
To date she exhibits @ Blue House Gallery in the West Cork Creates annual exhibitions, in the West Cork Arts Centre Members and friend exhibitions.
The Lavit first took her work as part of their Winter Exhibition 2023 and in 2024 she was delighted when two of her drawings were selected for the 194th Annual Exhibition.
Her work can be seen:
@ 2 STUDIOS : ONE GALLERY
Along with their independent art practices, Johanna and her husband Michael continue to develop
2 STUDIOS : ONE GALLERY.
A work in progress, these two working studios and exhibition space open their doors to the public annually as part of Culture Night. Visits can also be arranged for groups and/or private individuals, simply