2018
Mick O’Dea Selects, Glór, Ennis, Co. Clare, 14 December, 2018
188th RHA Annual Exhibition, May 22, 2018 – August 11, 2018
2017
RHA Annual Exhibition, 2017
Bristle, Hair and Hegemony, The Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda. July 8th – Sept.
2016
Gut Instinct, Art, Food and Feeling, The Glucksman Gallery, University College, Cork. November 5th – March 19th, 2017
RHA Members Exhibition, Nov. 15th – Dec. 21st, RHA Gallery, Ely Place, Dublin
RHA Collection, 39th Clifden Arts Festival, 2017, Sept. 16th – 23rd, Galway
186th Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Open Exhibition, March 22nd – June 11th
Jardin, Kunstraumlangenloise p.p., Austria, April 5th – May 1st
2015
185th RHA Annual Exhibition
New Acquisitions, The RHA, Dublin, January – April
2014
Re Framing the Domestic, The Highlanes Gallery, April – August
RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, May – Sept
Spring Exhibition, Peppercanister gallery, Dublin, March
2013
Kaleidoscope: Contemporary Art from EU Members States. Representing Ireland. Farmleigh Gallery, Dublin, April 2013.
Janus, The Peppercanister Gallery, Dublin, January 17 – February 9th.
Handicraft. Materials and Symbolism, Museum der Kunst, WestKüste Det Paulsen Legaat gemeinnützige, GmbH, Hauptstraße 7 • D-25938 Alkersum, March 2nd.
2012
Ateliers and Kitchen, Laboratories of the Senses, Marta Herford, Germany, opened May 11th.
Kinsale Arts Festival Ireland, opened July 7th
7:42, Irish Contemporary Art, Kaapelitehtaan Valssaamossa,The Cable Factory , Helsinki. With Mary Kelly, Sean Cotter and Thomas Brezing. 8.03.12. – 26.03.12. Touring to The High Lanes Municipal Gallery, Drogheda, Ireland, opens May 4th, 2012.
2011
Apertures and Anxieties – Artists celebrate 300 years of Trinity College School of Medicine, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, November 15th – December 21st.
Christmas Show,ArtCatto Gallery, Loule, Portugal, December 10th – End January 2012.
Christmas Show,Soloman Fine Art Gallery, Dublin, December 1st – Mid January 2012.
7:42, Irish Contemporary Art, Lapua Museum of Art, Lapua Finland. With Mary Kelly, Sean Cotter and Thomas Brezing. 14.12.2011 – 26.2.2012. Touring to The Cable Factory , Helsinki in March and The High Lanes Municipal Gallery, Drogheda, August, 2012.
Christmas Group Show, The Solomon Fine Art Gallery, Balfe Street, Dublin, November/December , 2011.
Still, Peppercanister Gallery, 3 Herbert Street, Dublin 2. Opens Sept 8th 2011.
Cast 25, James Wray Gallery, Belfast, July 1st – July 26th.
Cast 25,Solomon Gallery, Dublin, May.
Altered Images, Letterkenny Regional Cultural Centre, Co. Donegal, Ireland, May 17th – June 15th.
181st RHA Annual Exhibition, Ely Place, Dublin, May 24th -July 30th
Three Colours / Red, 2001. April/May 2011. A collaboration with Mary Kelly, SOMA Contemporary, Waterford.
Altered Images, 14th February – 29th April, Crawford Art gallery, Cork.
Children get choosy with IMMA, 22nd March – 9th April, Wexford Arts Centre, Co. Wexford.
2010
Summer Interval’10, Gallerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
Altered Images, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham, June – August.
Sacred, June/July 2010, Dock Off-site, Enniskillen, Curator Linda Shevlin.
Let them Luv’ Cake, March 2010, at Cake Contemporary Arts, The Curragh Army Camp, Co. Kildare, Ireland.Click Here for more info
2009
Altered Images, 19th June – 5th August 2009, County Museum, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, in association with The Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Another Island, Contemporary Irish Art, March 2009, The American Historical Society, New York.
2008
Summer Interval 08, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
RHA 178th Annual Exhibition, February 2008, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin.
Obra Nabarmenenak /Obras Fundamentals, Oct 2007 – Jan 1008, Sala Kubo-Kutxa, San Sebastian.
2007
RHA 177th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin.
Gestures of Infinity, Kultutzentrum bei den Minoriten, Graz, Austria.
2006
Einfach So, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
RHA 176th Annual Exhibition, (invited Artist) Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin.
Ten Years in the Making, an Exhibition of Art from the State Buildings, 1995 – 2005, Farmleigh, Dublin.
National Self-Portrait Collection, University of Limerick, Ireland.
Pulse Contemporary Art Fair, New York.
Art Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
2005
Happy Holiday, Rubicon Gallery, Dublin. 2005
Bread Matters, West Cork Arts Centre, West Cork, Ireland.
The Eye of The Storm, The IMMA Collection, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
2004
Tir na nOg, new works from the I.M.M.A. Collection, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
Banquet Exhibition, RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin.
From a Collection – For a Collection, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
In the time of Shaking, Irish Museum of Modern Art.
Art Brussels, Paris photo. Fiac Paris, Art Cologne.
2003
Paris Photo
Child in Time, The Gemeentemuseum, Helmond, The Netherlands.
Art Cologne, The Basel Art Forum.
2002
Lerse Kunst uit de Collectie van het Museum Modern Art Te Dublin, Stedelijk Museum, Belgium.
Stories, Haus der Kunst, Munich.
Paris Photo, Basel Art Forum, and Art Cologne.
2001
From the Poetic to the Political, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
“Zwischenraum # 4” Arbeiten mit Fotografie, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
Basel Art Forum, Art Cologne.
2000
Series, Elke Dröscher Galerie, Hamburg.
Art Cologne, Basil Art Forum.
Der Monokulare Blick, Kunstverein Lingen, Lingen, Germany.
Zwischen – Raum, Galerie Seitz und Partner, Wielandstr, Berlin.
Zwischenraum # Editionen und Multiples, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
Unschärferelation, Kunstverein Freiburg im Marienbad, Germany. Travelling tour to Kunstmuseum Heidenheim and Stadtgalerie Saarbrücken.
1999
Irish Art Now: From the Poetic to the Political, 1999 – 2001, travelling U.S. exhibition (organised by I.C.I. New York and I.M.M.A. Dublin)
Silent Presence: Contemporary Still-Life Photography, Staatliche Kunsthalle, Baden- Baden and Bielefelder Kunstvere, 2000.
The Challenge of Power, Limerick City Gallery, Limerick, November.
Berlin Art Forum, Basil Art Forum.
Perspective 99, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast.
EV+A 99, Limerick City Gallery, Limerick.
Les Fleur du Mal, Galerie Seitz von Werder, Wielandstr.34, Berlin.
1998
EV+A 98, Limerick City Gallery, Limerick.
Art Forum Berlin.
Novisimos, Cortometrajes Mexicanos, Recientes en Cine y Video, Sala Luis Buñuel CCC/Centro Nacional de las Artes, Mexico, (a collaboration with Javier de la Garza).
Passport Exchange; (Ex) Change, National Polish Museum of Contemporary Art, Zacheta, Warsaw, Poland.
N.C.A.D. Postgraduate Show, Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Dublin, June.
1997
Passport Exchange, (Ex) Change, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin.
Banquet Exhibition, RHA, Dublin
Figuration, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
1996
Waiting Spaces, Sheriff Street Post Office, site-specific work, Dublin.
Oriel Mostyn Open, Llandudno, Wales.
Iontas, Sligo, travelling to Dublin, Limerick and Derry.
CURRENT WORK
FOUR UNDER THREE – RHA Annual Exhibition in Dublin, May 22, 2018 – August 11, 2018
Four Under Three is O’Brien’s latest photographic collection and is exhibiting as part of the 188th RHA Annual Exhibition in Dublin from May 22, 2018 – August 11, 2018
PRUDENCE AND THE GAME OF GOLF – RHA Ashford Gallery 17 November – 20 December (Now Closed)
In November 2017, the RHA presented Abigail O’Brien RHA, Prudence and the Game of Golf in the RHA Ashford Gallery, a photographic, sculpture and sound installation.
Having completed Fortitude, The Collector, 2005 and Temperance, Oatfield Sweet Factory, 2009, Prudence is the third body of work in O’Briens series, The Temporal (Cardinal) Virtues, which are Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence, and Justice.
The word ‘virtue’ is derived from the Latin word Vir meaning mankind; male and female. It should be noted that Homer wrote almost exclusively about mighty men, great wars, adventures and encounters with monsters and today we would include women in similar terms. Virtues are guidelines and codes of conduct. The Temporal (Cardinal) Virtues are a treatise in dualism and every virtue has its vice. What today constitutes a virtue? How are these virtues transformed or perhaps sublimated into an acceptable form? Who today are the virtuous?
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017
PRUDENCE AND THE GAME OF GOLF, RHA, Ashford Gallery 17TH November – 20TH December 2017
2015
WITH BREAD, Limerick City Gallery, January – March, 2015..
2014
WITH BREAD, The Dock, Carrick-On-Shannon February 7th – April 5th, 2014. Touring to the Limerick City Gallery, 2015.
2013
WITH BREAD, – The Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda until November 16th.
2012
AIRFIX DAYS, – The Peppercanister Gallery, Dublin, October 19 – November 10. Click to download Gallery Catalogue
2011
TEMPERANCE, – 2009, January 2011 – April 25th, 2011, RHA Foyer
2011
TEMPERANCE, – 2010, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
2009
TEMPERANCE, – 2009, Letterkenny Municipal Arts Centre, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
2008
BELLA, – 2008, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
2007
BELLA, – 2007, Rubicon Gallery, Dublin.
2006
CONFIRMATION- MARTHA’S CLOTH, – 2004, Gallerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
2005
FORTITUDE, – 2005, The John David Mooney Foundation, Chicago.
GARDEN HEAVEN – HOLY ORDERS, – 2001 – 2003, Centre Culture Irlandais, Paris.
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS, – 1995 – 2004, The R.H.A. Gallagher Gallery, Dublin.
VITA ACTIVA, –The Rubicon Gallery.
2004
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS, 1995 – 2004, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany.
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS, 1995 – 2004, The Kunstverein, Lingen, Germany.
2003
THE RAG TREE SERIES, Rubicon Gallery, Dublin.
THE RAG TREE SERIES, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
2001
HOW TO BUTTERFLY A LEG OF LAMB a collaboration with Mary Kelly, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
2000
FROM THE OPHELIA ROOM – EXTREME UNCTION, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
FROM BAPTISM, The Sculpture Court, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh.
HOW TO BUTTERFLY A LEG OF LAMB a collaboration with Mary Kelly, Edinburgh Arts Festival.
1999
KITCHEN PIECES – CONFESSION AND COMMUNION, Galerie Stadtpark, Krems, Austria.
HOW TO BUTTERFLY A LEG OF LAMB, a collaboration with Mary Kelly, The Concourse, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, County Dublin.
1998
KITCHEN PIECES – CONFESSION AND COMMUNION, Galerie Bugdahn und Kaimer, Düsseldorf.
1996
BAPTISM, Old Museum, Belfast.
Man Eating Cream Bun installation, Habitat, Dublin.
BAPTISM, Häagen Dazs/Temple Bar Gallery Solo Award, Dublin.
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
The Arts Council of Ireland.
National Self-Portrait Collection, University College Limerick, Ireland.
Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland.
Office of Public Works, Ireland.
University College Limerick, Ireland.
The Caldic Collection, Rotterdam, Germany
The Museum of Modern Art Vienna, Austria.
European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany.
Goldman Sachs, London, UK.
Private Collections, Europe and North America.