CV
Education
2018-2020 M.A in Time & Space Arts, Academy of Fine Art, Helsinki, FI
2011-2015 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Crawford College Of Art + Design, Cork, IE
2012 Erasmus semester at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, FI
Exhibitions & publications
Upcoming
Skin Deep, Photo Museum Ireland, Dublin, IE
Transsexual Time, Galleria Uusi Kipinä, Lathi, FI
Tom of Finland Foundation, Artist in Residence, LA, USA
Transsexual Time, forthcoming monograph
2024
Bricolage, group show, Governor’s Island, NYC
FCINY Artist in Residence, NYC, US
The Girl who turned into a rosebush, HAM, Helsinki, FI
Sites of Dreaming, solo show, The Library Project, Dublin, IE
Three poems in If them magazine, UK
Poem in All the Rage, UK
2023
I’ll be your mirror, solo show, Hippolyte Gallery, FI
Nuoret 2023, G Galleria, FI
Sites of Dreaming, solo show at Turun Taidehalli
Not Gay, group show curated by Ryan P. Krueger and Jonathan D. Katz at Marion Art Gallery, NY
Queer Cohesion, Detroit Stockholm, SE
ABC Stampa, Miss Read, Berlin
Friend of The Artist, group show, AIR Gallery, NYC, USA
2022
The years that repeat their days, group show Juhani Kirpila Art Collection,
Poem in July Zine, FI
Editor of Almanac: Journal of Trans poetics, Issue 01
Cover + Photo story in Astra: Masculinities issue
Sites Of Dreaming displayed at PhotoIreland Festival, Printworks, Dublin, IE
Charmed, group show at Haunted69a, Bergen, NO
Sites Of Dreaming, Queer Archive Festival, Athens, Greece
When I Was Done Dying: Duo Show with Minjee Hwang-Kim, Titanik Gallery
1 poem in Tuli ja Savu, “Queer”, FI
In Our Own Image, Irish National Photography collection, Dublin Castle, IE
Phroom exhibition of Irish Photography, A24 Sounds Dublin, IE
2021
Exalted, screening at Queer City Cinema, Regina, CA
Zen Garden writing residency, SE
Two poems published in Oroboro zine, Idaho, US
Exalted, screening at Arts center NOASS, Riga, LV
Trans Time II: Fracturings, essay in Astra magazine, SE
Trans Time III: Seeds, essay in Zelda Zine, FI
Poetry in Museum of Impossible Forms Reader, FI
TITANIK residency, Turku, FI
Publications at The Temporary Bookshelf, Kosminen Gallery, FI
Poem in NO NIIN magazine, FI
Poem in 14Poems, UK
Published in FUTURES publication, NLD
Feature on PHMuseum, IT
Cowboy of Time book launch at Papercuts, Publics, Helsinki, FI
4 Poems in Green Carnations: an anthology of queer Irish poets, IE
Exalted, screening as part of Lux Moving Image London x The Room Projects, UK
Trans Time Vol 1: Essay in Mustekala, FI
Hazey, Photography anthology, Fifth Wheel Press, USA
2020
FUTURES, Unseen Amsterdam Art Fair, Amsterdam, NLD
Thesis writing award, Helsinki Academy of Fine Art, Helsinki, FI
Heavy Metal zine launch, Fetiche Press, Helsinki, FI
Exalted, screening at Love and Anarchy Film Festival, Helsinki, FI
Exalted screening at VAFT Festival, Turku, FI
Artwork in Astra Magazine, Sweden
Cover image, poetry & artwork in Nuori Voima magazine, Finland
Writing in Ante Nouveau Magazine, Finland
Poetry in Modern Queer Poets, Pilot Press, London, UK
Poetry in Pralin Magazine, Sweden
Artwork in Over Journal of Photography, Dublin, IE
FUTURES, PhotoIreland, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, IE
Here Be Dragons, Project Room, Helsinki, FI
2019
Control, Third Space Screening, STOA, Helsinki
Puppy, Museum of Impossible Forms, Helsinki, FI
Riga Photo Festival, Kaņepes Culture Centre, Riga, LV
Hatching, Kosminen Gallery, Helsinki, FI
First Thursdays, Adidas Originals x Creative Debuts, London, UK
Thessaloniki Queer Art Festival, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, GR
Kuvan Kevat 2019, MFA Show, Project Room, Helsinki, FI
The Shape of Things, Anderson Gallery, Virginia, USA
The Shape of Things, Pocket Gallery, Helsinki
Latency of Images, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki, FI
2017
Fair Is Foul, Bunny Mag Launch as part of F_Festival, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, IE
What Will Our Future Hold?, Dye House, London, UK
Grrrl Zine Festival, Southend on Sea, UK
2016
Hers; Me, Tad Gallery, Denton, Texas, USA
what we are doing, Alexandra Park, Manchester, UK
Summer Pals, Camp Gallery, Montreal, CA
2015
SUGAR, Bunny Collective, Tactic Gallery, Cork City, IE
AT THE PARTY, I WRITE WORDS ON BALLOONS, Node Gallery, Helsinki, FI
Discomfort, Comfort, Brooklyn Bazaar, New York City, USA
Gaze At Me, Kadmium Gallery, Delft, NE
I’m So Excited, HaHa Gallery, Manchester, UK
Soft Matter, The Wonder Inn, Manchester, UK
Daughters, We Do Not Leave Pyramids, CCAD, Cork, IE
2014
Works in Progress, The Performance Caravan with Amanda Coogan, TACTIC, Cork, IE
The Young-Girl’s Gaze, Bunny Collective, Soma Contemporary Gallery, Waterford, IE
The Coven presents Girlhood, Oakland, CA, USA
The Coven presents Girlhood, San Francisco, CA, USA
U Could Do Better, Art Baby Gallery.
Girlhood, The Coven, La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse, Montreal, CA
Le Sigh, Silent Barn, New York City, USA
Polyester I, Shackwell Arms, London, USA
2012
Intimates, Gal Space, London, UK
Soapbox, Gal Space, London, UK
2011
The Coven, GLASSdoor Gallery, Montreal, CA
Alone With Other People, Gabby Bess x Samantha Conlon, Art Baby Gallery, NYC, USA
URL, Bunny Collective, CCAD, Cork, IE
Residencies and Awards
2022 Kone Säätiö 3 year grant for Almanac Press + solo work
2021 Kone Säätiö1 year working grant
2021 Suomen Kulttuurirahasto 6 month grant Uusimaa Regional Fund
2021 Paulon Säätiö project grant
2021 Grafia Grant for Almanac: Journal of Trans Poetics
2021 VISEK project Grant
2021 Festival of Political Photography Mentorship supported by Patricia Seppälä Foundation
2020 Thesis writing award for MA Thesis at Helsinki Academy of Fine Art
2020 Olga and Vilho Linnamo Foundation grant for filmmaking
2020 TAIKE Grant for filmmaking
2020 FUTURES photography talent award
2020 Shortlisted for Prix Levallois Prize
2020 Shortlisted for Ingmar Bergman residency
2018 Uto Residency, Aland Islands
2016 Alexandra Arts, Artist in residence, Pankhurst in the Park, Manchester, UK
2016 Tipperary Artist Awards, Tipperary, IE
Works in Collections
Finnish Art Society
Finnish National Collection
Helsinki Art Museum
Preus Museum Norway
National Photographic collection of Ireland
Private collectors
Selected Published
2024 FCINY Interview
2024 GCN Feature
2022 Irish Times Feature
2021 PH Museum interview
2018 ART 511 Magazine, Commission by Alexandra Arts
2019 Queer Anthology of Poetry, Pilot Press, London
2017 Broadly, What Will Our Future Hold? Interview
2016 Commissioned video interview, Arts Council UK
2016 Bunny Mag, Issue 002 – Fair is Foul
2015 i-d Magazine, Artist profile: Samantha Conlon
2015 The New York Times, Frieze Edition, in print + online, Interview
2015 Red Magazine UK - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
2015 SUGAR – Feature in essay by Kathryn O’Reagan
2015 aqnb – Bunny Collective + Areole in Helsinki review
2015 Bunny Mag, Issue 001 – Work/Labour
2015 Tigress Magazine, Issue 003
2015 Refinery29 - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
2015 Huffington Post US - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
2015 Huffington Post UK - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
2015 Brigitte.de - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
2014 The Young Girl’s Gaze – Feature in essay by Kathryn O’Reagan
2014 Dazed And Confused –Bunny Collective interview with
2014 The Le Sigh – Girl Spotlight, Interview with
2014 Galavant Magazine, Issueno3 - WRECKED
2014 VoxFeminae - Bunny Collective interview
2013 The Le Sigh Bunny – Collective Spotlight
2013 KALTBLUT – The Coven feature and Interview
Curation
2017 Fair Is Foul, Bunny Mag Launch as part of F_Festival, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, IE
2016 what we are doing, month of exhibitions + workshops, Manchester, UK
2015 SUGAR, Bunny Collective, Tactic Gallery, Cork City, IE
2014 The Young-Girl’s Gaze, Bunny Collective, Soma Contemporary, Waterford City, IE
2013 Soapbox, The Coven ,Gal, London, UK
2012 URL, Bunny Collective, CCAD, Cork City, IE
BIO
Shia Conlon grew up in the 90s in rural Catholic Ireland. He was a teenager at a time when the church was losing its foothold in Irish society. This loss of power was still very fresh, with the last Magdalene Laundry (forced labour and adoption camps for unmarried pregnant women) closing in Ireland in 1996. There has been a long culture of silence within Ireland from which the country is still recovering. Growing up in this landscape led him to a long term interest in how people live during and with abuses of power.
His first medium was photography, having photographed his family from a young age. It was in the darkroom that he began to learn a language to translate his experiences. He believes that the alchemy of analogue photography and the slowness needed to work within it's confines lends itself perfectly to projects related to trauma, history, archives, time and language. For the last 17 years he has been evolving that language, expanding from photo to video, writing, sculpture and publishing.
Shia’s artworks and writings have been published in New York Times, i-D, Dazed and Confused, Irish Times, GCN Ireland, Huffington Post, Astra, Nuori Voima, Mustekala, Zelda, NO NIIN, Pilot Press, Tuli ja Savu, 14 poems, Dedalus Press, Oroboro, & more. He has had screenings and exhibitions worldwide in Dublin, London, New York, San Francisco, Helsinki amongst others. His works are in the collections of Finnish National Collection, Helsinki Art Museum, National Photographic Collection of Ireland, Finnish Art Society and various private collectors.
He is 1/3 of Almanac Press, a trans-ran and centered mutual aid initiative
and co-founder of Trans Library Helsinki.