ABOUT

Oonagh McAteer’s primary conceptual focus is on the subjects and stories that preoccupy her internal discourse. However, more recently she has been influenced by the anthropomorphic characters she encounters in her daily life - one of whom is a rock called ‘Sumpy’. Sumpy inspired Oonagh to focus her attention on the immediate area around where she now lives, combining personal stories with local, vernacular tales. 

While creating in her studio, nestled under her house in a valley in County Down just a stone’s throw away from a fairy fort, she became aware that the studio itself was becoming more and more like a spinning room from a fairy tale. She embraced this fully, allowing her practice to follow the path of blending reality with the fictional through the process of creative writing. It was during this period that Oonagh began to make these thoughtful, handmade miniature corners depicting scenes from within her stories.  

Oonagh received a First-Class Honours in her BA (Hons) Photography with Video in 2019 from the University of Ulster and has recently completed her MFA in Fine Art also in the University of Ulster. Oonagh was Long listed for the RDS Visual Awards in 2019. She exhibited in Belfast as part of the MFA end of year show in Arts for All and with Catalyst Arts as part of her MFA Interim Show.