Biography

Tracy Sweeney is an Irish visual artist based in the west of Ireland, whose practice spans painting, watercolour, and site-specific installation. Her work explores place, material, and human presence, evolving from layered, abstract painting into commissions for public and healthcare environments.

Alongside her commissioned projects, she maintains an active studio practice, creating a limited number of individual works for private and gallery collections. These pieces remain intuitive and responsive, with variations in tone, material, and style reflecting shifts in process and mood.

Tracy works closely with architects and institutions to create artworks that respond sensitively to space, bringing warmth, calm, and connection into both public and intimate environments.

January 2026

Curriculum VItae

Education:

2005 BA Hons Degree (First Class) in Fine Art, specialising in Printmaking, GMIT, Galway, Ireland

2003 Diploma in Fine Art with Distinction, specialising in Printmaking, GMIT, Galway, Ireland

2005 Thesis with Distinction: ‘Hidden Truths; The Ambiguous Photographs of Northern Ireland’ 

2003 Thesis with Distinction: ‘Photographing Ireland; Contemporary Views of the Irish Locale’

Awards:

2013 Culture Ireland, for ‘Station/Wall’Exhibition, Stockholm, Sweden

2011 Pollock Krasner Award, Pollock Krasner Foundation, New York, USA

2009 Mentoring Award, Kilkenny Co. Council & Artlinks (Southeast Arts Iniative), Ireland

2008 ‘Verge’, Emerging Artist Award from Kilkenny Arts Office, for Kilkenny Arts Festival, Kilkenny, Ireland

2005 Student Of The Year Award/De Blacom & Meagher Award, GMIT, Galway, Ireland

2005 Mayo County Council Printmaking Award-Mayo, Ireland

Solo Exhibitions:

2025 ‘Tracing Terrain: The Poetics of Place’, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland

2019 ‘Fighting with Shadows’, Irelands Museum of the Great Hunger, Quinnipiac University, Connecticut, USA

2013 ‘Station/Wall’, Grafiska Sällskapet Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden

2012 ‘Stories from the Abandoned City’, Galleri Ingela S, Stockholm, Sweden

2012 ‘New Works by Tracy Sweeney’, The Graphic Studio Gallery, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

2010 ‘Quick! Cops!’ Galleri Ingela S, Stockholm, Sweden

2009 ‘Artefact & Error’, The Galway Arts Festival; Official Programme, Galway, Ireland

2008 ‘Thus Spoke the Silent Spaces’ Central Bank, Dame St. Dublin, Ireland

2008 ‘If you Lived Here, You Would be Home by Now’, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Kilkenny, Ireland. (Curated by Hugh Mulholland, Former Director Ormeau Baths Gallery Belfast)

2007 'Thus Spoke The Silent Spaces’-Watergate Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland

2006 ‘Thus Spoke the Silent Spaces’- The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland

2006 ‘AP-Art’- The Galway Arts Centre-Process Room, Galway, Ireland

Group Exhibitions:

2026 ‘A Journey of Hope’ - The Lockwood Mathews Mansion Museum, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA

2024 Art Source, Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland

2023 Mayo Artist’s Exhibition, Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Mayo, Ireland

2019 Straight Out of Ireland Exhibition, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA

2019 Saatchi Art Exhibition, Central Saint Martins, London, UK

2014 Saatchi Art Exhibition, Web Summit, RDS, Dublin

2013 NP33 Galleri, Norrköping, Sweden

2013 ‘How the Light Gets In’ Ballina Arts Centre, Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland

2013 Supermarket Art Fair, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, with Grafiska Sällskapet

2011 Biennale 109, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France

2011 ‘Hong Kong Graphic Art Fiesta’, City Hall, Hong Kong, China. With Leinster Printmakers.

2011 ‘Bladverk’, Grafiska Sällskapet Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden

2011 ‘Le Cheile’ at Oriel Yns Mon Museum, Llangefni, Anglesey, Wales, UK. Curated by Jim Creed, Regional Print Centre, Wrexham, Wales, UK

2010 'Matrix', The Graphic Print Studio Gallery, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

2010 'Dynamics', Galleri Ingela S, Stockholm, Sweden

2010 XIV Grafiktriennalen (Swedish Printmaking Triennial), Konstakademien, Stockholm, Sweden. Officially opened by His Majesty King Carl Gustav of Sweden.

Exhibition also travelled to: Sundsvalls Museum, Sundsvall, Sweden Kulturens Hus, Luleå, Sweden Falkenbergs Museum, Falkenberg, Sweden Landskrona Konsthall, Landskrona, Sweden

2010 ‘Längtans Landskap’, Grafiska Sällskapet Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden

2010 'Le Cheile', Rhyl Arts Centre, Wales, UK2009 Exhibition with Graphic Studio, Gallery Astley, Uttersberg, Sweden

2009 'Impact’, with Leinster Printmakers, Bristol, UK

2009 ‘Bog 50 x 70’, with Leinster Printmakers, Rua Red, South Dublin Arts Centre, Dublin, Ireland. (Curated by Peter Jones, Dublin Institute of Technology)

2009 Exhibition with Endangered Studios, Kilkenny Arts Festival, No. 72 John St. & Fennellys, Callan, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland

2009 ‘Bog 50 x 70’, The Factory Space, Capel St. Dublin, Ireland

2008 ‘Greenstar’, Mermaid Art Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

2007 ‘Iontas’, Sligo Art Gallery, Sligo, Ireland. (Curated by Michael Dempsey, Curator, Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin, Ireland)

2007 'Within & Without', Limerick Printmakers, Limerick, Ireland

2007 'Within & Without', The Original Print Gallery, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

2006 ‘Impressions’, The Galway Arts Centre, Galway, Ireland

2006 'Within & Without’- White Room Gallery, Galway, Ireland (Selected by Ruairí Ó Cúiv, Public Art Manager, Dublin City Council, Dublin, Ireland)

Commissions:

2026 Soft Anatomies. Diagnostic Imaging in Clinical Environments – A Collection of Watercolours. Diagnostic Imaging Centre/Clinical Services Hub at Bon Secours Hospital Limerick. Commissioned by Alliance Medical Ireland.

2025 Rooted in Care - Fréamhaithe i gCúram. Medicinal Irish Plants in Critical Care Settings - A Collection of illustrations. Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at University Maternity Hospital Limerick. A Percent for Arts Commission with the HSE.

2013 ‘Spår/Track’ The Marker Hotel, Grand Canal Square, Dublin

2007 ‘Pillar of Stone’ Sculpture, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo,

2005 Galway County Council & Galway Arts Centre Commission, Galway, Ireland,

2003 Shortlisted for Mayo Co. Council’s Commission for Castlebar Courthouse, Mayo, Ireland

Collections:

Health Service Executive (HSE), Ireland,
Irelands’s Museum of the Great Hunger, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
E Graham Architects, North Yorkshire, UK
Microsoft-Sweden
Åhléns-Sweden
Apoteket-Sweden
OPW-Office of Public Works, Ireland
Allied Irish Bank Collection-Ireland

Gallery Representation:

Grafiska Sällskapet Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden

Publications/Articles/Media:

‘Inside Limerick’s New Neonatal Unit’ by Niamh Griffin, Irish Examiner, January 2026
‘Home’: Connaught artists video feature, featuring Tracy Sweeney by Connaught Rugby 2026
‘Irish Artists Pulling Power’ The Irish Examiner, January 2015
‘The Power Beyond’, The Irish Arts Review, March 2012
‘De flydde från den irländska krisen’, Dagens Nyheter - Sweden, November 2010
‘Grafiknytt’, Nr 2, 2010, Ny Medlem Tracy Sweeney i Grafiska Sällskapet, Stockholm, June 2010
‘Crafts Council of Ireland Curriculum 2008’- Photographs by Tracy Sweeney
‘Present Tense; Words & Pictures-Poems & Photographs from County Mayo’ Published by Mayo County Council, November 2006

Sweeney undertakes commissions for private & corporate clients throughout Ireland, Europe & the US.