CV

Education
2007-08. MA Visual Art Practices, Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Dublin.
2000-01. MA European Fine Art, Winchester School of Art, Barcelona.
1993-97. BA (Hons) Fine Art Painting, National College of Art & Design, Dublin.

Selected Solo Exhibitions & Projects
2024. Coloured into Shape, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin.
2024. Coloured by Weather, Custom House Gallery & Studios, Westport.
2023. Glas, Gorm, Uaine, Pearse Museum, Dublin.
2023. Magnum Chaos, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin.
2022. I Don’t Need Anything From Here (magic-carpet-painting), RHA Gallery, Dublin.
2021. Matter Mammal Oil Soar, Art book published by Whale Dust Books.
2020. A More Immortal Atlas, Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin.
2019. A Falling of the Bright, Facebook offices, Grand canal Dock, Dublin.
2019. Chaos Bewitched, The Merrion Hotel, Dublin.
2012. In Paint; In Teeth; In Mountains; In Stars. The LAB, Dublin.
2011. Seeing in Black, Roscommon Art Centre, Roscommon, curated by Patrick Murphy.
2008. At the Heart of Chance, Draiocht Gallery, Blanchardstown, curated by Carissa Farrell.
2007. Outside, The Return, Goethe Institut, Dublin, curated by Mark Garry.

Selected Group Exhibitions
2024. Kites Above the Castles, Dublin Gallery Weekend central exhibition, curated by Patrick Murphy.
2024. Lido Open, The Lido Stores, Margate, UK.
2024. Paper Works, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin.
2022. Festival: Gallery & Invited Artists, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin.
2021. The 6th Biennial of Painting, in association with Pallas Projects, Meštrović Pavilion, Zagreb, Croatia.
2015. COE 15, Claremorris, Mayo. Selected by Brian Cass.
2014. Periodical Review #4, Pallas Projects, Dublin & Ormston House, Limerick, curated by Mary Conlon, Mark Cullen, Gavin Murphy & Paul Hallahan.
2008. There, Not There, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork (Elizabeth Magill, Felicity Clear, Paul Nugent, Orla Whelan and Mark McGreevy), curated by Dawn Williams.

Awards & Residencies
2024. Agility Award, The Arts Council of Ireland.
2024. Tyrone Gutherie Centre Residency.
2024. Programming grant for artist’s collective AtHomeStudios, from Visual Artists Ireland.
2022. Visual Arts Bursary, The Arts Council of Ireland.
2022. Programming grant for artist’s collective AtHomeStudios, from Visual Artists Ireland.
2021. Visual Arts Bursary, The Arts Council of Ireland.
2020. Visual Arts Bursary, The Arts Council of Ireland.
2019. Facebook AIR Programme Commission for Facebook Offices Grand Canal Dock, Dublin.
2019. Production Residency, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
2019. Winner of The Merrion Plinth Award, Merrion Hotel Dublin, selected by Oonagh Young, Patrick Murphy, and Lochlann Quinn.
2019. Programming grant for artist’s collective AtHomeStudios, from Visual Artists Ireland.
2018. Cill Rialaig artists retreat, Kerry.
2013. Studio 468, Studio Residency, Rialto, Dublin.
2011. Royal Hibernian Academy, Studio Residency, RHA, Dublin.
2008. Draiocht Studio Residency, Draiocht, Dublin.

Selected Reviews & Catalogues & Interviews
2024. Coloured into Shape, exhibition review by Tom Lordan, The Irish Times 02/10/24.
2024. Artistic License – Orla Whelan, THE GLOSS
2021. Orla Whelan and Harlan Lowe In Conversation, book launch of Matter Mammal Oil Soar, Dublin Art Book Fair 2021, Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, Dublin.
2020. Artistic License – Orla Whelan, by Penny McCormick, THE GLOSS
2020. Sites of Abstraction, exhibition review by Moran Been-noon, Visual Artist’s Ireland News sheet, November-December issue.
2020. Artist Interview, Alhaus magazine, March edition online & issue six in print, September 2020
2012. First Name Spelt with an ‘O’. Essay by James Merrigan.
2012. Orla Whelan in conversation with Robert Armstrong at the LAB, Vimeo
2009. At the Heart of Chance, Review by Aidan Dunne, Irish Times 07/ 01/09.
2008. At the Heart of Chance, Essay by Patrick Murphy, Director RHA.
2008. There, Not There, Catalogue essay by Dawn Williams.
2007. Outside, Review by Aidan Dunne, Irish Times 21/02/07.

Talks & Panel Discussions
2024. Ways of moving the Irish Visual Arts sector forward – ideas, support, inspiration. Panel discussion with Barbara Dawson (Director, Hugh Lane Gallery) Bryan Meehan (Collector, philanthropist, entrepreneur) Cristín Leach (Critic and writer) Darragh Hogan (Kerlin Gallery, CAGA) Delphine Munro (Head of Arts & Culture, European Investment Bank) Orla Whelan (Artist), moderated by Sean Rainbird. (CAGA Dublin Gallery Weekend 2024 Seminar).
2022. Care and Creativity: Parenthood and Arts Practice in the EU, Symposium at The Hugh Lane Gallery, co-organised by The Mothership Project and the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.
2022. The Benefits of Working Collaboratively, Artist Led Practices, panel discussion with Orla Whelan (AtHomeStudios), Helen Blake (NINE) & Orlaith Treacy (Carlow Arts Festival) moderated by Kate O Shea, hosted by Visual Artists Ireland.
2021. What is it to paint (in) a city? Panel Discussion artists Stephen Loughman, Colin Martin, Mark O’Kelly, Sonia Shiel & Orla Whelan, moderated by critic, curator and educator James Merrigan, Zagreb.

Published Writing
2022. Being Pesent – feature article by Orla Whelan about AtHomestudios, Visual Artists’ New Sheet, July/August issue.
2021. Matter Mammal Oil Soar – Book by Orla Whelan, published by Whale Dust Dublin, 2021.
2015. AtHomeStudios, profile by Orla Whelan, Visual Artists’ News Sheet, May/June issue.
2014. Creating Connections (AtHomeStudios), in Cultural Reproducers Propositions, Manifestoes & Experiments, Chicago, USA.

Collections
The Arts Council of Ireland, Crawford Gallery of Art, Trinity College Dublin, The Merrion Hotel, Office of Public Works, Kelly’s Hotel, private collections in the UK and Ireland.

Collectives & Projects
Founder of Whale Dust, an artist’s book publishing project founded in 2021 www.whaledust.com
Founder and director of AtHomeStudios, a collective of artists working from individual home studios established in 2013 www.athomestudios.wordpress.com, instagram@athomestudiosdublin