Photograph by Geoff Greenham 2019
With a foundation in painting: LSAD 1991-94, Johanna’s work developed through her studies at the renowned Motley Theatre Design Course, London, 1996-97. After which she worked successfully as a set and costume designer, designing over 20 productions between 1997-2000 for theatre, dance, opera and film. Amongst these were At-Swim-2-Birds - The Abbey, 1998, Fragile - Dublin Fringe Festival, 1999 and Coriolanus - Project @ the Mint 1998, some of which were nominated for awards of distinction.
In 2000 Johanna Connor returned to West Cork where her creative path significantly altered. There she began to produce 3D work and exhibit paintings. In 2006, the West Cork Arts Centre presented Nearly There - A work in Progress, an exhibition of the creation of Nearly There a children’s book which she and Gabrielle Byrne co-illustrated & co-wrote in 2002-04 and which was subsequently published & launched in 2012.
In 2018 she received a master’s degree in: Art & Process, @ CIT Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork and her work from the MAAP exhibition was longlisted for the RDS Visual Arts Award, 2019.
Following on from the masters, she did part time lecturing in UCC Drama dept. and co-facilitated a series of drama/visual art community workshops @ the Nano Nagle Centre for the Lantern Project Community.
In 2019 she developed new work for Alternative Views, a small group exhibition curated by Ana Ospina for the Blue House Gallery. Other of her new works could be experienced in a number of tge BHG’s Summer Season of exhibitions and West Cork Creates 2019 Exhibition; Into the Woods.
Cancellations being the norm during the Global pandemic of 2020 her 3 month Spring residency @ Kunstraum LLC, Brooklyn, NY was one such example. During this time she continued to work within the limitations of lockdown and exhibited works in Blue House Gallery’s 2020 Covid Spring/Summer Season of Group Exhibitions, the West Cork Arts Centre’s, online - Members & Friends Exhibition, and Cork Artists Winter Online Showcase .
Again in 2021 her work was exhibited in BHG’s Summer exhibitions WCAC’s members exhibition and WCC 2021 exhibition Home Ground. All the while Johanna was working on a new body of work for her solo exhibition titled Indelible which opened at the Blue House Gallery in September 2021.
Currently drawing: rediscovering materials while exploring new landscapes, she is working towards a number of group exhibitions, and a solo exhibition of new drawings in September of this year, at 2 STUDIOS - ONE GALLERY, in Coachford,Co. Cork.