Cormac O'Leary was born in Cork city, Ireland in 1969. He studied fine art at Sligo RTC from 1987 to 1991. Since then he has exhibited his work widely in Ireland, the UK and America.
He lives in County Leitrim with his family.
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
Doorway Gallery, Dublin 2017 / 19 / 24
Chimera Gallery, Mullingar 2014 / 18 / 23
Hamilton Gallery, Sligo 2005 / 10 / 13
Barbara Stanley Gallery, London 2007 / 09 / 15 / 16
Custom House Gallery, Westport, Mayo 2012
Cill Rialaig Arts Centre, Ballinskeligs, Kerry 2011
Vanguard Gallery, Cork 2004 / 06 / 08
Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford 2003
Linenhall Arts Centre, Mayo 2002
Clotworthy Arts Centre, Antrim 2000 / 05
The Hallward Gallery, Dublin 1999 / 01 / 03 / 05 / 09
Sligo Art Gallery 1999 / 01 / 03
Selected Group Exhibitions:
The Sligo Wave, The Model Centre, Sligo 2024
WB Yeats; Lapis Lazuli, (with Hamilton Gallery) Cloud House, Beijing China 2024
Ancestral Houses, (with Hamilton Gallery)
Irish Embassy, Beijing, China (Touring China) 2023 / 24
Group Show, Ross Fine Art, Delft, Netherlands 2023
Woven, (with Hambly & Hambly Gallery)
Sasse Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA & Château de Mornay, France 2023
Annual Exhibitions, Royal Hibernian Academy Dublin 2015 / 16 / 18 / 22 (Invited Artist)
Annual Exhibitions, Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast 2015 / 16 / 21
1919 - Artists respond to WB Yeats Poem, (with Hamilton Gallery)
Irish Consulate, New York, USA 2019
Life in still life, North / South Cultural project, Burnavon Arts Centre, Tyrone (toured) 2019
Of this place, El Ateneo, Sala Prado, Madrid, Spain 2015
Art el forn, Les Escales, La Floresta, Barcelona, Spain 2014
The Wool Campaign, Somerset House, London UK 2013
Lavit Gallery at Boole Library, University College Cork 2011
‘Reimagined - an artistic navigation of the Erie Canal’
Italian Cultural Institute, New York, USA (toured) 2010
‘Journeys’, Louvain Institute, Belgium & University of Ulster, Belfast (toured) 2007
C2, Contemporary Art from Cork, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork 2004
Eigse - Carlow Arts Festival (Invited artist) 2004
Blink - 5 Years, Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar Mayo 2003
Works on paper, LeMoyne Arts Foundation, Tallahassee Florida USA 2000
Emerging Art, Kilkenny Castle, (Toured) 2000
Iontas National Small Works Open, Sligo Art Gallery (Toured) 1990 / 91 / 94 / 95 / 99 / 01
Selected 2 / 3 Person shows:
Imposed Geometries, with Tom Brawn & Betty Gannon, Esker Art Centre, Offaly 2023
& Ballina Arts Centre, Mayo 2022
Inside out, with Caitriona O’Leary, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo 2018
Storm thrown, with Medbh Gillard, Inishbofin Arts Festival 2017
Between sea and sky, with Fiona McHugh, Aisling Art Gallery, Ballydehob, Cork 2017
Arc of Visibility, with Sara Foust, Courthouse Gallery & studios, Ennistymon, Clare 2015
Between sky and stone, with Caitriona O’Leary, Russell Gallery, Co Clare 2016
Remembering light and stone, with Caitriona O’Leary, The Doorway Gallery Dublin 2013
Paintings from Ireland with Caitriona O’Leary & Philip Lindey,
Barbara Stanley gallery, London 2007
Family Show, With John & Caitriona O’Leary, Lavit Gallery, Cork 2000
Awards & Residencies:
John Richardson French Residency Award 2024
Cill Rialaig Artists retreat, Ballinskeligs, Co Kerry 1999 / 02 / 05 / 13 / 17 / 22
Auribeau Residency, France 2016
Leitrim Arts Office Grant Awards 2006 / 08 / 10
Invited Artist, Vermont Residency, USA 2010
Iontas Painting Award 2001
Milliken Bros Art Materials Award 2000
Triskel Art Centre Studio Residency, Cork 1999
Public Collections:
Sligo County Library Collection, Cork County Library Collection, Leitrim Arts Office
Collection, UK Civil Service Collection, Allied Irish Banks, UniCredito Italiano, Irish Financial
Services Centre, Dublin, Department of Trade, Enterprise & Employment, Crawford Art
Gallery Collection, Cork. Office of Public Works, Irish Intercontinental Banks, Royal Hospital,
Dublin, Wellwoman Centre, Dublin, Shay Cleary Architects, Iona Technologies, IDA Sligo.
His art work is in private Collections in Ireland, UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany,
Italy, USA, Australia, New Zealand & Japan.
