Nicola Sheehan

Bio

Nicola Sheehan is a visual artist based in Cork, Ireland. She received a First Class Honours BA in Fine Art in 2021 from MTU Crawford College of Art & Design. She works primarily with expanded printmaking techniques, utilising a combination of both digital and analogue processes. Her body is the subject matter in the work which studies women from history and mythology who have been inaccurately or unfairly represented. The work is heavily research based, and aims to empower these characters by studying and re-telling the narrative in an unbiased manner. For her degree show work, she was awarded the MTU Graduate Residency Award (Print), the MTU Graduate Residency Award (Materials Store) and the MTU Student Engagement Exhibition Award. Collections include: Tyndall Institute, OPW, MTU, and Cork City Council.

Exhibitions: MTU Student Engagement Exhibition (2021), Awagami International Miniature Print Exhibition (AIMPE), Inbe Art Space (2021), ‘Subject to Change’, Crawford College of Art & Design (2021), State of Print (SOP), Limerick City Gallery of Art (2019-20), sense/ability, The Gallery @ CSN (2017)

Artist Statement

My body is the subject matter within the work, which explores different mythological women whose stories intrigue me. The materiality of my work is both digital and analogue, and features large-scale cyanotype prints which I opt to naturally expose in daylight. My current work depicts the story and struggles of Helen of Troy, a woman who was wronged and inaccurately represented. The display consists of accurately scaled silhouettes of my body, allowing for a fair and accurate representation of female self and accomplishment – something which Helen was deprived of. Blue tones in the digital prints combined with those in the fabric pieces reference the lapis lazuli pigment used in many religious paintings. It was once believed that only men were skilled enough to be trusted with the pigment, however, evidence has emerged in recent years suggesting that it was also used by women as far back as the 9th century.

Website: nicolasheehan.com

Email: nicolasheehanart@gmail.com

Instagram: @nicolasheehanart

Tiktok: tiktok.com/@n.nicola

Membership: Backwater Artists Network
New Gallery
Install shot. Left pair Helen II 2021 Digital print on Unryu 55gsm paper 183cm x 112cm and Mandorla 2021 naturally exposed cyanotype on cotton 185cm x 113cm. Right Helen III VII 2021.
Eden 2021 Cyanotype on Cotton Fabric 246cm x 119cm
Helen I 2021 Digital print on Awagami Unryu 55gsm Paper 183cm x 112cm
From left to right Helen III, Helen IV, Helen V, Helen VI, Helen VII. 2021 Series of five digital prints on Awagami Unryu 55gsm paper 183cm x 112xm
Helen VII detail.
Install shot of Eden 2021, Cyanotype on Cotton Fabric 246cm x 119cm.
Install shot. Left pair Helen II 2021, Digital print on Unryu 55gsm paper, 183cm x 112cm, and Mandorla 2021, naturally exposed cyanotype on cotton 185cm x 113cm. Right Helen III VII 2021.
Helen III, Helen IV, Helen V, Helen VI, Helen VII. 2021. Digital prints on Awagami Unryu 55gsm paper. 183cm x 112xm.
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