Joe Duggan (b.1973) is a Limerick born artist living and working in London. He studied at the Royal College of Art London gaining an M.A. in Fine Art (Photography). His artistic practice includes sculpture, photography, video, publishing and installation. Through these various media his work considers ideas of value and identity. Focusing on themes of the family, the artists role in society and the influence of hierarchical systems, including religion, on culture. Across his projects Duggan’s work is inflected with a wry wit and a playful DIY aesthetic in which he conveys deeper lying concerns.
Recent exhibitions include ‘Material’ a solo sculpture exhibition at the Swiss Cottage Gallery, London supported by the Borough of Camden, London and Embassy of Ireland. In this exhibition Duggan created sculptures from found materials harmonised into repurposed forms. These pieces, often disarmingly simple or with an improvisatory appearance, look afresh at familiar objects. By reclaiming used and discarded materials to compose his distinctive forms, Duggan engages in a recuperative practice and playfully questions notions of artistic value. The reference of local architecture in the sculptures further challenges preconceptions of these found materials in a highly poetic and intuitive way.
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2023), Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2021), 190th RHA Annual Exhibition (2020), ‘Limerick Connections’ LCGA (2020).
Education
2000-02: Royal College of Art, London, England, M.A. Fine Art Photography.
1997-2000: Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England, BA (Honours) Visual Communications.
Exhibitions
Upcoming
2024: Public art work exhibition.
Current
2023: RA Summer Exhibition 2023, Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Past
2023: "I is the other", Watford Museum, UK.
2022: Jack Arts, BETTER, Various Locations, London.
2022: Through the Lens, From the LCGA Permanent Collection, Ireland.
2021/22: RA Summer Exhibition 2021, Royal Academy of Arts, London.
2021: Dublin Art Book Fair, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin, Ireland.
2021: Material, Swiss Cottage Gallery, London (Supported by Camden Council & Embassy of Ireland, UK).
2020: 190th Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, Ireland.
2020: Limerick Connections, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick, Ireland.
2018: Non important artwork, exhibited through online platforms.
2018: Exquisite Garden, Here East Gallery, London. Curated by Gavin Turk.
2015: Periodical Review # 4, Ormston House, Limerick, Ireland. Selected by Paul Hallahan, Mary Conlon, Gavin Murphy & Mark Cullen.
2014-15: Pallas Projects Dublin - Periodical Review # 4. Selected by Paul Hallahan, Mary Conlon, Gavin Murphy & Mark Cullen.
2013: This is not Public/Part 1, Five Years Gallery, London, UK. Curated by Edward Dorian.
2013: Being your Dog, Glue Factory, Glasgow. Curated by Rachel Corcoran.
2013: LIPS (Limericks International Publishers Salon), Ormston House, Limerick, Ireland. Curated by Mary Conlon.
2012: Life Is Not Enough, artist book published and exhibited in self-titled pop up shop, London. Nov - Dec 2012
Later sold through Photographers gallery, London, Motto, Berlin, Yvon Lambert Gallery book shop, Paris.
2011: Additions 2011, the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland, Bourne Vincent Gallery, University of Limerick, Ireland.
2011: Elementalism: Silver Cloud Gallery, London, UK.
2011: Three Colours: Yellow, SOMA, Waterford, Ireland.
2011: The Last Landscape: Silver Cloud Gallery, London, UK.
2009: Dear God, extraspazio, Rome, Italy.
2009 -2010: Noughties but Nice: 21st Century Irish Art. Art Council of Ireland, touring exhibition.
Venues: Limerick City Gallery of Art, Letterkenny Regional Cultural Centre, Solstice Navan, Visual Carlow.
Curated by Mike Fitzpatrick & Susan Holland.
2009: Welcome to the Neighbourhood, Askeaton Contemporary Arts, Ireland.
2007: Family Man, Limerick City Art Gallery, Limerick, Ireland.
2006: Failure, Kilkenny Festival of Art (KAT), Ireland. Curated by Mike Fitzpatrick.
2006: Monstrous Tales, APT Gallery, London, UK.
2005: Foto Antwerpen, Koraalberg Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium.
2005: Joe Duggan, extraspazio, Rome, Italy.
2005: Babylon, Koraalberg Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium.
2005: quasi niente, extraspazio, Rome Italy.
2004: Short Stories, Museum of Photography, Antwerp, Belgium. Curated by Inge Nenneman.
2004: Unairdefamille, Centre de Photographie, Toulouse, France.
2003: NeverEver, Hirschl Contemporary Art, London, UK.
2003: Public Image, MOCA, Washington D.C., USA.
2003: London Calling, Con/temporary, Berlin, Germany. Curated by Marcus Verhagen.
2003: Photography, Koraalberg Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium.
2003: Acardia, Laurent Delaye Gallery, London, UK.
2003: England Our England, Artjunky, London, UK.
2002: Joe Duggan, SENKO Gallery, Viborg, Denmark. Curated by Sergei Sviatchenko.
2002: PERIOD (in association with Art Junky), EC Café, London, UK.
2002: EVIDENCE, Essor Gallery Project Space, London, UK.
2002: THE GOVERNMENT ART COLLECTION, London, UK.
2002: Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, Ireland.
2001: FLIP FLOP, Ecole Regionale des Beaux Arts de Nantes, France.
2000: New Blood, Atlantis Gallery, London, UK.
Collections (selected)
National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland.
Limerick City Gallery of Art permanent collection.
MOCA, Washington D.C., USA.
Ranzini Foundation
Ernest & Young
Private collections, UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, USA, Denmark.
Awards / Residency
2019: Arts Council of England Award.
2009: Culture Ireland Award.
2008: Travel&Training Award Arts Council of Ireland.
2008: Pouch Cove Foundation, Newfoundland, Canada. September – October.
2007: Shortlisted for AIB Bank Award (by Mike Fitzpatrick at Limerick City Gallery of Art).
2002: British Council travel Assistance Award.
2000: Individual Arts Grant, Limerick County Council, Ireland.
Review / Publications
The Limerick Leader, 21 Sept 2021.
Source Magazine issue 75, July 2013.
Viewpoints: Theoretical Perspectives on Irish Visual Texts, Cork University Press, Essay by Colin Graham featuring work by Joe Duggan, Hannah Starkey, and John Gerard, 2013.
Elementalism, Time Out, London Helen Sumpter, June 2011.
Noughties but Nice, Exhibition Catalogue, September 2009. ISBN 0-9553668-9-5 / 978-0-9553668-9-5.
Joe Duggan, Exibart.com, Pierluigi Sacconi, February 2009.
Joe Duggan, Espoarte, Laura Fanti, no.58, April / May 2009.
ZERO ROMA, Francesca Zedtwitz –Arnim, January / February 2009.
Wonderland magazine, Lydia Fulton, Eat This issue 11, December 2007 /January 2008.
The Irish Times, Aidan Dunne, 28 Aug 2007.
Failure exhibition catalogue, July 2006.
Magill Magazine, Jacqui McIntosh, August /September 2007.
The Irish Times, Aidan Dunne, 17 Aug 2006.
The Limerick Leader, 6 Aug 2007.
Irish Arts Review VOL 23. No2 Summer 2006 ISNN 1649-217X.
Dazed&Confused, Nick Hackworth, VOL.2 Issue 23 March 2005 ISSN0961-9704.
FotoMuseum Magazine, Antwerpen, 29 March 2004.
i-D Magazine The lovers Issue No.238, December 2003.
The Art News Paper, No.133 February 2003.
HotShoe 127 December 2003 / January 2004. ISSN0959-6933.
Les Journal des Arts January / February 2003.
PLUCK, Nov 2003.
Berliner Morgenposten, May 2003.
ArtReview Volume L111 May 2002 ISSN 0004-4091.
The Royal Academy magazine No. 76, Autumn 2002.
Source Magazine issue 27, Summer 2002.
The Irish Post, December 2003.
WHAT’S ON, London, Laura Gascoigne, May 8 2002.
Curatorial
Between 2009 - 2011 Joe Duggan set up and directed Heaven’s Full gallery space in London to promote the work of emerging artists and develop creative networks. The Gallery focused on offering Irish artists their first solo exhibition in London. Culture Ireland supported exhibitions by artists Sean Lynch 2009, Nevan Lahart 2010, Michelle Horrigan 2011.
Between 2011 - 2012 Joe Duggan in collaboration with Josh Knowles set up and directed Silver Cloud Gallery. A Gallery, Studio and artist meeting place. Exhibitions included Arcadia 2011, Elementalism 2011, Cartoon 2012.