Chris Bio

who what why where when

Waterford born artist, Chris O’Brien Shanahan, has worked in performance, installation, video and environmental art, ceramics and photography since 1985 when she finished her studies in Fine Art at Waterford Institute of Technology.

Now working primarily in oil, with paintings and photographs in private collections locally and in Dublin, Galway, Athlone, London, Perth and Sydney, the environment continues to be an integral element in her work, with themes of place and time recuring.

Chris worked as an art craft and design teacher both privately and in secondary schools. At times teaching pottery and running a photography club. In mid 1980s she worked as art tutor in a number of government sponsored community and co-operative development programmes, facilitating early school leaver programmes. Chris gave private art classes up to 1996.

Training in Reality Therapy, 1989-91, developed an interest in art therapy, Chris taught painting classes in BrookHouse Psychiatric Day Care and with Brothers of Charity and attended the Crawford Art Therapy Summer School in 1997.

In 1992 she and Michael Shanahan founded Concept web design company, and is responsible for the creative and administrative aspects of the business. They have two children. Concept sponsor the IMAGINE Waterford Arts Festival and Waterford Film Festival.

A former vice president of Network Ireland, the organisation for women in business, the professions and the arts, and former president of Network Waterford, 2003.

In 2006 Chris facilitated a Network workshop on "Expressionism and the Art of Website Design" - an opportunity for business people to look at new ways to identify and express visually what they and their business, or career, is really all about. Exploring positive elements associated business life and the way personality and energy is expressed in business. At the same time offering an insight into the way colour and layout can influence the way you feel and think when surfing the net. "In the current environment it is vital that we find a way to allow our personalities and energy be expressed positively during the part of our life we call the working day. It is not always easy to remember why we put so much energy into our working life."

As a member of the Save Viking Waterford Action Group, SVWAG, (committee pictured right with guest speaker Tim Severin) is involved in the campaign to protect and excavate the Iron Age, Early Christian, Viking settlement found at Woodstown on the banks of the River Suir in 2003, www.vikingwaterford.com. The route of the N25 was subsequently moved and the campaign for a full excavation of the site continues.