Pauline Rowan
Pauline Rowan is a contemporary Irish photographic artist and lens-based artist exploring feminist photography through de-consecrated spaces and abandoned religious architecture. Featured on FUTURES Photography Platform. Fine art photography examining post-religious identity, women reclaiming sacred spaces, & motherhood in contemporary Ireland. Emerging artist with fresh multimedia exhibits. Noted in British Journal of Photography. She has a background in Fine Art and film. Pauline recently graduated from Ulster University with a distinction in MFA Photography. She works from her studio in Pallas Studios, Dublin.
Exhibitions
2025 195th Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Selected, Dublin Ireland
2024/25 BETWEEN THE GATES Debut, Skin / Deep , Photo Museum Ireland, Ireland
2024/25 UNDER A VAULTED SKY, SOLO, The Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland
2024 Changing States: Ireland in the 21st Century, Photo Museum Ireland, Zeitgeist Irland 24, Culture Ireland, Berlin, Germany
2024 UNDER A VAULTED SKY, SOLO, The Dock, Leitrim, Ireland
2023 “Past & Present”, Der Greif, Pavillon 333, Munich, Germany
2023 NEW IRISH WORKS solo, The Library Project, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland
2022 Halftone, The Library Project, Selected, Dublin, Ireland
2022 Photography & the Social Gaze, In Our Own Image, Photo Museum Ireland, Ireland
2022 PhotoIreland Festival, Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland
2020 Winter Open, Rua Red, Selected, Dublin, Ireland
2019 Halftone, The Library Project, Selected, Dublin, Ireland
2019 Royal Hibernian Academy, Selected, Dublin, Ireland
2019 Dissolving Histories, Curated by Paul Seawright & Peter Richards, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
2018 Under a Vaulted Sky, MFA Graduate Exhibition, Ulster University, Belfast
2018 Under a Vaulted Sky, 15:2, ArtCetera Studio, Belfast
2017 The Bough Breaks, 15:1, Remote Photo: International Photography Festival, Donegal
PUBLIC TALKS
2025 Photography in the 195th, Hosted and led by Elaine Byrne, RHA Annual, Dublin
2025 In Conversation, Pauline Rowan and Suzanne Walsh discussing Under a Vaulted Sky, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
2025 Brigit Festival 2025: Curators Tour and Meet the Artist, Skin / Deep, Photo Museum Ireland, Dublin
2025 Lecturer hosting at RHA, Students from Photography BA, DLIADT, Dublin
2024 Public Talk - Under A Vaulted Sky, The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
2024 Island Photographers Talk, Dublin
2022 Visiting Lecturer, Photography BA, DLIADT, Dublin
2022 NEW IRISH WORKS, PhotoIreland, Public talk, Dublin Castle, Ireland
2020 Oscailt Open Studio online event
2019 Public Walk & Talk with the artists hosted by Amelia Stein, Royal Hibernian Academy
2018 Dissolving Histories, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast. Pauline Rowan, Jan McCullough, Helena Hamilton, Gail Mahon.
2017 Art Through Education, Remote Photo: International Photography Festival, Donegal. Chaired by Tanya Kiang.
SELECT REVIEWS/PUBLICATIONS
2025 Under a Vaulted Sky, Meet the Artist, Sunday Business Post, by Philip Carton
2025 Between the Gates, Skin/Deep, written by Day Magee, Visual Artists Ireland NewsSheet
2024 Under a Vaulted Sky, Changing States, Aesthetica Magazine, Words by Diana Bestwish Tettheh
2024 Under a Vaulted Sky, The Dock, review written by Phillina Sun, Visual Artists Ireland News Sheet
2024 Between the Gates - Inside the machine of motherhood, Philippa Kelly, Print and online, British Journal of Photography
2023 Under a Vaulted Sky, Joanna L. Cresswell, Lens Culture Feature article. www.lensculture.com
2022 Abridged, Dance the Ghost, Printed Publication
2022 Conflicting Spaces - written by Rebecca O’Dwyer, www.irishphotonetwork.com
2020 Featured week takeover for #FFConversation @womeninphoto Instagram Selected from International Call
2020 Featured takeover of @ffotogalleryplatform Ffotogallery, Wales
2019 Guest Instagram takeover of Royal Photographic Society
2019 Irish Times, Best Exhibitions Running - Golden Thread Gallery
2018 Source Graduate Photography Online 2018, Featured Artist, Selected by Alicia Hart
AWARDS / RESIDENCIES
2024 Visual Artists Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland
2023 Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland
2023 FUTURES Mentoring Awards, Selected from European wide call.
2023 Instagram Residency with @photoireland
2023 Artists Training Workshop Digital Archiving, Photo Museum Ireland, Dublin
2023 Instagram Residency with @belfastphotofestival
2022 Participated in FUTURES PHOTOGRAPHY with PhotoIreland, Annual event, Camera - Centro Italiano per la Fotografia, Turin, Italy.
2022 Selected for Irish Photo Network
2022 Nominated and selected for FUTURES PHOTOGRAPHY, Europe
2022 Participating by invite in Magnum Photography / FUTURES professional learning year long programme, Europe
2022 Selected for NEW IRISH WORKS, PhotoIreland
2021 Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland
2021 Professional Development Awards, Arts Council of Ireland
2020 Nominated for and included in European Prospects with FFotogallery, Wales
2020 Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland
2020 Shortlisted for Format Photo, UK
2020 Shortlisted for Belfast Exposed Futures Award, UK
2020 Awarded Artist Residency at Cow House Studios, Ireland
2019 Shortlisted Artist, Royal Photographic Society, IPE 162, International
2018 Jill Todd Photographic Award, Ulster University, Belfast
WORKSHOPS AND BESPOKE EDUCATIONAL AND RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
2009 - 2020 Director of Photography, Lighting Camera Operator, Camera Assistant, Clapper Loader, Digital Data Wrangler. Freelance and Production.
2011-2016 Product Photography for Small Businesses, Enterprise Ireland and Design and Crafts Council of Ireland. Design and facilitate bespoke workshops for nationwide educational workshops
2005-2009 Life Drawing Tutor, Thomas’s / Bray Institute of Further Education and DLIADT