Image: Thaddeus Holownia
Kerrie O'Leary (b. 1992) is an Irish artist and producer based between Dublin and London. Her practice uses technology as a major component to create kinetic sculptures and immersive installations that breathe life into raw data. By merging computational techniques, mathematical algorithms, and machine learning, O'Leary crafts tangible experiences and abstract visualisations, pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms. Her work is informed by field research and interdisciplinary collaborations.
O'Leary’s background in Management Science and Information Systems (MSISS, Trinity College Dublin) laid the groundwork for her unique interdisciplinary approach. Her MFA in Computational Art from Goldsmiths University, London, furthered her exploration into systems, specifically environmental systems, the sublime, and hyperobjects. Inspired by hydrofeminism and ecofeminism and physicalised through art and science, her work aims to reveal the intricate complexities of nature and provoke thought on human coexistence with the environment.
Currently O’Leary is based in Berlin on a short residency exploring quantum computing, hosted by Goethe Institut, Akademie der Künste and Künstlerhaus Bethanien. Her work has been featured at prominent institutions such as Somerset House and the V&A in London, as well as internationally in New York, China, and Dublin. Collaborating with organisations like The Eco Show Boat and Emergency Exit Arts, O'Leary’s public artworks draw critical attention to the climate crisis. She has held residencies at College Lane Gallery in Dublin, Tides Institute and Museum of Art in Maine, USA and Makerversity, Somerset House, London.
email: olearykerrie@gmail.com
instagram: @kerrieoleary.ie
Exhibitions and Projects
Selected Exhibitions
2023 Eco Show Boat 1 Windmill Lane Dublin, funded by Irish Arts Council
2023 Between Creativity and Individuality Huanggang Normal University Hubei, China
2023 Changing Course (DEFRA Futures) Somerset House London
2023 Hidden in Plain Sight, Open Data Week Data Through Design New York, sponsored by Brooklyn Arts Council
2023 OVERFLOW hARTslane Gallery London
2023 Medway Light Nights Festival Chatham Highstreet Kent, UK, funded by Arts Council England
2022 Spectacle for Later Rio Cinema London, UK
2022 Can Water Be Thirsty (also here) Storm Studio Brooklyn, New York
2022 Hang Party Brixton House Theatre London, UK
2022 London Digital Design Festival The Victoria & Albert Museum London, UK
2022 Subsystems Goldsmiths University of London London, UK
2022 Digital Fantasies The Wrong Biennale Online
2021 Shivers Goldsmiths University London London, UK
2021 off(CAMPUS) Goldsmiths University London Online
Solo Shows
2021 The Scenic Route The College Lane Gallery Dublin, Ireland
Awards and Residencies
2024 Akademie der Künste x Goethe Institut Residency Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
2024 Maker With a Mission @ Makerversity Residency Somerset House, London
2024 Finalist Fine Art Work Centre, Residency FAWC, Provincetown, USA
2023 Tides Institute and Museum of Art Residency Eastport, Maine, USA
2023 Develop Your Creative Practice Grant Arts Council England
2023 Finalist, EMAP Residency Residency EU Media ArtPlatform
2022 London Design Festival Award The V&A, London
2021 College Lane Gallery Residency Dublin, Ireland
2021 Public Sculpture Emergency Exit Arts Award London, UK
Press and Features
2023 NY1 News, Open Data Week
2023 Stefan Sagmeister Blog
2023 Medway Light Nights Festival
2022 Vertex, Cambridge University Magazine
Selected Speaking and Teaching
2024 London Design Festival Data VisWorkshop Somerset House,
2024 A Discussion on Interactive Theatre Somerset House London, UK
2024 Mentor with Unloc, Steering the Future Morley College London, UK
2024 Jurer, Tides Institute and Museum of Art Eastport, Maine, USA
2023 What is Data Visualisation Eastport High School Eastport, Maine, USA
2023 Physical Computing and Art Eastport High School Eastport, Maine, USA
2023 The School of Looking Eco Show Boat Dublin, Ireland
2023 Hidden in Plain Sight Data X Design New York, New York
2022 What is Computational Art? Sutton Park School Dublin, Ireland
2020 Combining Art & Computer Science Chapin Girls School New York, New York
Education
2022 MFA Computational Arts, Goldsmiths University London, First Class Honours
2019 Diploma Front End Web Development, IBAT College
2015 B.A Management Science and Information System Studies, Trinity College Dublin