Born St. Andrews, O’Donnell is an award-winning Scottish painter currently working on the series, 'Surface Work'. She studied Drawing and Painting at the prestigious Edinburgh College of Art and went on to obtain a Masters in Contemporary European Fine. After 18 years of professional practice in Northern Norway, she now has her studios in Andalucia and Fife, Scotland.
O'Donnell makes paintings, drawings and frottage with a subtle minimalistic approach, the subject being the process of making it, inextricably linked to the concepts and actions of limitation, restriction and repetition. The work is systematic and meticulously planned works that resonate with surfaces created by means of rules and omissions, acceptance and refusal. Her works are notable for their perfect finish and tactile nature. This is of great importance and bears witness to her concern for craftsmanship. Her work has been exhibited worldwide and collected by such as The Scottish Office, North Norwegian Museum of Art and private collectors. Recent exhibitions include FAB2020 Contemporary Art Festival, with Outside The Form and Giornata del Contemporaneo, Associazione dei Musei d’Arte Contemporanea Italiani with Rossocinabro Contemporary Art, Rome. In 2021 she will show in the Over The Structures Exhibition, CICA, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in Korea. In-depth interviews can be read in contemporary art magazines, ART Habens Review, Reset Fine Art and Art Reveal Magazine.
Parallel with her own art practice O’Donnell is a curator and was the Director of the Gallery of Northern Norway, collaborating with the National Museum of Art in Oslo, curating and exhibiting work by Paul McCarthy, Norway 10 Designers, and international established and emerging artists.
RECENT AND UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS 2017-2020
The Creative Room, a.topos International Curatorial Collective, Venice, 2021
The Enduring Legend of Experience, UFIFABRIK Contemporary Art, Madrid International Art Fair, 2021
Trento Art Festival, Trentino, Italy, 2021
Realities in the Making, International Artists Exhibition, Rossocinabro Contemporary Art, Rome, 2021
Xxiv Certamen De Pintura Indalecio Hernández Vallejo Xxiv, 2020.
Giornata del Contemporaneo, Associazione dei Musei d’Arte Contemporanea Italiani with Rossocinabro Contemporary Art, Rome, 2020
Xxvii Biennal De Pintura Vila De Paterna 2020, Gran Teatre Antonio Fernandis, Valencia, Spain 2020
Il Tempo, Casa Cava, Matero, Italy, 2020
The Verona Art Prize, UFOFABRIK Contemporary Art Gallery, Moena, Italy, 2020
Textured, Envision Arts Gallery, International Group Show, 2020
LOST, Lacuna Festival De Arte Lanzarote and Festival De Arte Fuerteventura, Spain, 2020
Lost and Found Booth, Curator, Kim-Ling Morris, Lacuna Festival de Arte, Spain, 2020
Outside the Form. Curator: Anthoniy Val, FAB 2020, Fringe Arts Bath Contemporary Art Festival, 2020.
Colours, Grey Cube Gallery, International Online Gallery, 2020.
AFTNHS, Artists for the NHS, Covid19, Gallery Different, London, 2020.
Post, Curatorial Response to Covid 19, UK, 2020.
SELF Group Show, The Artists Pool, Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh, 2020..
Housekeeping!, Group Show, Jeannie Avent Gallery, London, 2020.
Black and White, Group Show. Pineapple Black Arts Gallery, Middlesborough, UK, 2019-2020.
Surface Work. Solo Show. Toro Spacio, Ronda, Spain, 2018.
BLOW. Collaboration with Claire Carswell MA(RCA), Toro Spacio, Ronda, Spain, 2018.
Surface Work Solo Show. Antigua Cine, Montejaque, Spain, 2017.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Art Reveal Contemporary Art Magazine, Edition 53. 2020
ART Habens Art Review, Article on Surface Work, Edition Spring 2020
RESET//, Contemporary Art Platform, UK, Interview and featured article, April 2020
Artist Showcase with New Emergence Art, 2020
Average Art 39, Surface Work 4, for Publication, October 2019
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Solo Show. Sør Troms Museum, Trondeness, Harstad, Norway.
Reflections. Solo Show, A:rt Gymsal, Harstad, Norway.
Horizontal Works. Solo Show, Ateliér Lofoten Gallery, Svolvær, Norway.
Horizontal Works. Solo Show, Galleri Nordaførr, Norway.
Harstad Kommune (Harstad District Council), Harstad, Norway.
Horizontal. Solo Show, Galleri NordNorge, Gallery of Northern Norway, Harstad, Norway.
Furness/Moen/O’Donnell/Skotnes. Tromsø Kunstforening, Tromsø, Norway.
Den 7. Tromsutstillinga (7. Troms Region Art Exhibition), Tromsø, Norway.
Transatlantic Connections, Society Of Scottish Artists, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.
Solo Show, Southampton University, Faculty of Arts Dept., Southampton.
Cheltenham and Gloucester Drawing Show, Berlin | Hull.
Group Show, Can Felipa, Barcelona, Spain.
Art on the Rock, Stirling Castle, Stirling.
Celtic Conexion. Euskal Extea, Centre Cultural, Barcelona, Spain.
British Workhouse Gallery, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Scottish Contemporary Painters and Printmakers Exhibition, Edinburgh.
Beatrice Royal Contemporary Art Gallery, Southampton.
Grandisca. Group show, Museo Nuova Era, Bari and La Spezia, Italy.
Scottish Painters Group Show. Frontiers Gallery, Edinburgh.
Incontri d’Arte. Group Show, Guild Gallery, Bristol.
New Works. Solo Show. Galleria Panorama, Barcelona, Spain.
New Works in Architecture. Solo Show. Cloister Gallery, Bristol.
Doric Work. Solo Show, Studio Gallery, Edinburgh.
Solo Show. Loretto Gallery, Musselburgh, Scotland.
New Works. Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (R.I.A.S.), Edinburgh.
Facade. Solo Show, Hillside Gallery, Edinburgh.
Incontri D’Arte. Group Show, Bari, Italy.
New Generation Show. Mercury Gallery. London.
SELECTED AWARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Shortlisted for Xxvii Biennal De Pintura Vila De Paterna 2020 with SURFACE WORK 2.
Shortlisted Xxxiv Concurso De Pintura Sanvisens Y Pere Jou 2020. SURFACE WORK 20.
Shortlisted for Xxiv Certamen De Pintura Indalecio Hernández Vallejo Xxiv, 2020 with SURFACE WORK 20.
Norwegian State Material Grant II, Oslo, Norway.
Nordnorsk Kulturråd Collection. Tromsø Kunstmuseum, Tromsø, Norway.
North Norwegian Museum of Art Collection.
Norwegian State Material Grant I, Oslo, Norway.
Commissioned for Harstad Kommune (Harstad District Council), Harstad, Norway.
Norwegian State Material Grant, Norway.
Awarded Cross Gates Gallery Award, Kentucky, USA and Mall Galleries, London.
Awarded Fiera del Levante Prize, ‘Artists in Puglia’ Exhibition. Bari, Italy.
Clifton College of Art Residency, Bristol.
Artepremio Giovani Fiera del Levante. Artists in Puglia, Bari, Italy.
Commissioned by Stephens Architects, Glamis, Scotland.
Commissioned by The Scottish Office; St. Andrew’s House Scottish Office HQ, Edinburgh.
EDUCATION
Master of Arts in Contemporary European Fine Art, Winchester School of Art, Barcelona, Sep 1997 - Jul 1998,
Post Graduate Diploma in Painting, Edinburgh College of Art, Sep 1987 - Sep 1988
Bachelor of Arts in Drawing and Painting, Edinburgh College of Art, Sep 1983 - Jul 1987
EXECUTIVE BOARD POSITIONS
Chairman, Foundation Sierra de Libar, Spain. 2014 - present.
Board Member for Creative Development Project, Innovasjon Norge, Norway. 2013 - 2017.
Board Member, Sparebank1 Nord Norge (Savings Bank) Art Foundation, Norway, 2012 - 2016.
Board Member, Harstad Regional Chamber of Commerce, Norway. 2006 - 2009.
Board Member, Kunskapsparken Nord (Knowledge Park North), Norway. 2006 - 2008.
Board Member/Art Consultant/Curator, Bø i Vesterålen Hospital, Straumen, Norway, 2004 - 2006.
Board Member Nordnorske Billende Kunstnere (Professional Artists Union), Norway, 2001 - 2006.
Board Member, Festspillene I Nord-Norge (Festival of Arts), Norway, 2003 - 2008.
Member of Advisory Board, Festspillene I Nord-Norge (Festival of Arts), Norway, 2003 - 2006.
Curator ILIOS Festivalen (Anual Festival of Contemporary Music), Harstad, Norway, 2001.
