• Work •
  • CV
  • Work •
  • CV

Shia Rowan Conlon is an artist, writer and organiser
originally from Ireland, currently based in Helsinki, Finland.

Contact: shiaconlon@gmail.com


Education


2018–2020   MFA in Time & Space Arts, Academy of Fine Art, Helsinki, FI
2011–2015   BFA, Crawford College Of Art and Design, Cork, IE
2012             Exchange semester at Tampere University, Tampere, FI

Collective work

2021 – ongoing: Co-founder and organiser of Trans Library Helsinki

2020 – ongoing: Editor and organiser of Almanac Press: publishing and mutual aid org



Exhibitions

2025
Upcoming: Gag, duo show with Iona Roisin, Pori Art Museum, Finland
Upcoming: Group show at Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki
Skin Deep, group show, Photo Museum Ireland, Dublin, IE
2024
Bricolage, group show, Governor’s Island, NYC
The Girl Who Turned into a Rosebush, HAM, Helsinki, FI
Festival Les Instants Vidéo, Marseille, FR
Sites of Dreaming, solo show, The Library Project, Dublin, IE
When I Was Done Dying: Duo Show with Minjee Hwang-Kim, Titanik Gallery, FI
Sites Of Dreaming displayed at PhotoIreland Festival, Printworks, Dublin, IE
Charmed, group show at Haunted69a, Bergen, NO
Sites Of Dreaming, Queer Archive Festival, Athens, GR
2023
I’ll be your mirror, solo show, Hippolyte Gallery, FI
Nuoret 2023, duo show, G Galleria, FI
Sites of Dreaming, solo show at Turun Taidehalli, FI
Not Gay, curated by Jonathan D. Katz at Marion Art Gallery, NY, USA
Queer Cohesion, group show, Detroit Stockholm, SE
Friend of The Artist, group show, AIR Gallery, NYC, USA
2022
The Years That Repeat Their Days, group show Juhani Kirpila Art Collection, FI
Sites Of Dreaming, Queer Archive Festival, Athens, GR
When I Was Done Dying: Duo Show with Minjee Hwang-Kim, Titanik Gallery, Turku, FI
In Our Own Image, Irish National Photography collection, Dublin Castle, IE
Phroom exhibition of Irish Photography, A24 Sounds Dublin, IE
2021
Exalted, screening at Queer City Cinema, Regina, CA
Exalted, screening at Arts Center NOASS, Riga, LV
Exalted, screening, Lux Moving Image London x The Room Projects, UK
The Temporary Bookshelf, Kosminen Gallery, FI
Cowboy of Time, Publics, Helsinki, FI
2020
FUTURES, Unseen Amsterdam Art Fair, Amsterdam, NLD
Exalted, screening at Love and Anarchy Film Festival, Helsinki, FI
Exalted screening at VAFT Festival, Turku, FI
FUTURES, PhotoIreland, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, IE
Here Be Dragons, Project Room, Helsinki, FI
2019
Control, Third Space Screening, STOA, Helsinki, FI
Puppy, Museum of Impossible Forms, Helsinki, FI
Riga Photo Festival, Kaņepes Culture Centre, Riga, LV
Hatching, Kosminen Gallery, Helsinki, FI
First Thursdays, Adidas Originals x Creative Debuts, London, UK
Thessaloniki Queer Art Festival, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, GR
MFA Show, Project Room, Helsinki, FI
The Shape of Things, Anderson Gallery, Virginia, USA
The Shape of Things, Pocket Gallery, Helsinki, FI
Latency of Images, Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki, FI
2017
F_Festival, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, IE
What Will Our Future Hold?, Dye House, London, UK
Grrrl Zine Festival, Southend on Sea, UK
2016
Hers; Me, Tad Gallery, Denton, Texas, USA
What We Are Doing, Alexandra Park, Manchester, UK
Summer Pals, Camp Gallery, Montreal, CA
2015
SUGAR, Bunny Collective, Tactic Gallery, Cork City, IE
AT THE PARTY, I WRITE WORDS ON BALLOONS, Node Gallery, Helsinki, FI
Discomfort, Comfort, Brooklyn Bazaar, New York City, USA
Gaze At Me, Kadmium Gallery, Delft, NE
I’m So Excited, HaHa Gallery, Manchester, UK
Soft Matter, The Wonder Inn, Manchester, UK
We Do Not Leave Pyramids, CCAD, Cork, IE
2014
The Performance Caravan with Amanda Coogan, TACTIC, Cork, IE
The Young-Girl’s Gaze, Bunny Collective, Soma Gallery, Waterford, IE
The Coven presents Girlhood, Oakland, CA, USA
The Coven presents Girlhood, San Francisco, CA, USA
U Could Do Better, Art Baby Gallery, NY, USA
Girlhood, The Coven, La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse, Montreal, CA
Le Sigh, Silent Barn, New York City, USA
Polyester, Shackwell Arms, London, UK
2012
Intimates, Gal Space, London, UK
Soapbox, Gal Space, London, UK
2011
The Coven, GLASSdoor Gallery, Montreal, CA
Alone With Other People, Art Baby Gallery, NYC, USA
URL, Bunny Collective, CCAD, Cork, IE


Publications/Features

2025
Review of “Skin/Deep” in Visual Artists Newsletter Ireland
Review of “Skin/Deep” in Source Magazine
Review of “Skin/Deep” in GCN, Ireland
2024
Three poems in If them magazine, UK
Poem in All the Rage magazine, UK
2023
Poem in July Zine, FI
Editor letter, Almanac: Journal of Trans Poetics, Issue 01
Cover + Photo story in Astra: Masculinities issue
Poem in Tuli ja Savu, "Queer", FI
2022
Photo feature in The Irish Times
Essay Trans Time II: Fracturings, Astra magazine, SE
Essay Trans Time III: Seeds, Zelda Zine, FI
Poetry in Museum of Impossible Forms Reader, FI
2021
Interview feature on PHMuseum, IT
Two poems published in Oroboro Zine, Idaho, US
Poem in NO NIIN magazine, FI
Poem in 14Poems, UK
Published in FUTURES publication, NLD
2020
Poetry in Modern Queer Poets, Pilot Press, London, UK
Poetry in Pralin Magazine, Sweden
Artwork in Over Journal of Photography, Dublin, IE
Writing in Ante Nouveau Magazine, Finland
Poetry in Nuori Voima magazine, Finland
2019
Poetry in Queer Anthology of Poetry, Pilot Press, London
2015
The New York Times, Frieze Edition, in print + online, Interview
Video interview, Arts Council UK
i-D Magazine, Artist profile
Red Magazine UK - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
SUGAR – Feature in essay by Kathryn O’Reagan
AQNB – Bunny Collective + Areole in Helsinki review
Bunny Mag, Issue 001 – Work/Labour
Tigress Magazine, Issue 003
Refinery29 - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
Huffington Post US - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
Huffington Post UK - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
Brigitte.de - Feature of ‘Daughters’ and interview
2014
The Young Girl’s Gaze – Feature in essay by Kathryn O’Reagan
Dazed And Confused – Bunny Collective interview
Galavant Magazine, Issueno3 - WRECKED

Awards and Grants
2025 Finnish Cultural Fund for Trans Library Helsinki operating costs
2024 Finnish Cultural Fund for Trans Library Helsinki operating costs
2023 Kone Foundation 3-year working grant for solo artistic work
2022 Kone Foundation 1-year working grant for solo artistic work
2021 Finnish Cultural Fund Regional Fund for solo artistic work
        Paulon Säätiö grant for solo artistic work
        Grafia Grant for Almanac: Journal of Trans Poetics
        VISEK Grant for for solo artistic work
        Festival of Political Photography Mentorship for solo artistic work
2020 Thesis writing award for MA Thesis at Helsinki Academy of Fine Art

        Olga and Vilho Linnamo Foundation grant for solo artistic work
        Finnish State Grant for solo artistic work
        FUTURES European photography talent award
        Shortlisted for Prix Levallois Prize
2016 Tipperary Artist Awards, Tipperary, IE

Collections
State Art Collection of Finland
Helsinki Art Museum
Finnish Art Society
National Photographic Collection of Ireland
Preus Museum Norway
Private collections

Residencies
2024 Finnish Cultural Institute of New York and Residency Unlimited, NYC, USA
2023 Hakoniemi artist residency, Finland
2018 Uto Residency, Aland Islands
2016 Alexandra Arts, Pankhurst in the Park, Manchester, UK

Curation
2018  The Shape of Things, exhibitions in VCUArts / Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts
2017 Fair Is Foul, F_Festival, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, IE
2016 what we are doing, month of exhibitions + workshops, Manchester, UK
2015 SUGAR, Bunny Collective, Tactic Gallery, Cork City, IE
2014 The Young-Girl’s Gaze, Bunny Collective, Soma Contemporary, Waterford, IE
2013 Soapbox ,Gal, London, UK
2012 URL, Bunny Collective, CCAD, Cork City, IE