nigel swann
Born in Portadown Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1962 he studied at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin and completed his Photographic Masters in Fine Art at the University of Ulster with a 'distinction' in May 2019.
After graduating in 1985 with a BA in Fine Art Mixed Media he worked in photography based industries in London.
Returning to Ireland in 1997 he set up a photographic production company, swannlocations, to entice and facilitate international photographic productions into the country.
From 2004 Swann has divided his time between Central Europe and Ireland developing his production company in tandem with his personal photographic practice.
In 2011 for personal reasons he had to relocate to France dividing his time again between Ireland until the end of 2018, he now he lives full time on the Cooley peninsula in County Louth.
Nigel was a Photographer in Resident at The Gallery of Photography Ireland in 2019-2020 during which his practice research was supported by An Roinn Cultúìr, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta, Ireland's Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
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education
2019
MFA Photography (Distinction)
University of Ulster
1985
BA in Fine Art (Mixed Media)
National College of Art and Design, Dublin
1985
Diploma in Fine Art
National College of Art and Design, Dublin
residences
2019–2020
Photographer in Residence
Gallery of Photography Ireland
(Practice research supported by An Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta – Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland)
2018
Artist Residency
The Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, County Monaghan
selected exhibitions
(Reverse chronological)
2026 (Forthcoming)
The Nono Zone (Beckett-themed exhibition)
Institue Français de Serbie, Belgrade
(Belgrade Irish Festival)
2023
The Yellow Star Houses of Budapest
John Hewitt International Summer School, Northern Ireland
2022
National Photography Collection – Inaugural Exhibition
Gallery of Photography Ireland, Dublin
2021
Reframing 100
Collaboration between Nerve Centre (Derry) and Gallery of Photography Ireland
2020
The Nono Zone (delayed due to Covid-19)
Ustanova Kulture Stari Grad, Belgrade, Serbia
2019
Post Truth – MFA Group Exhibition
Belfast Exposed Gallery, Belfast
2019
The Yellow Star Houses of Budapest
Fine Art Association, Belgrade, Serbia
2018
Borderlands
Parobrod Cultural Centre, Belgrade, Serbia
2018
Borderlands – Reframing the Border
Gallery of Photography Ireland, Dublin
2018
Borderlands – Reframing the Border
Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Donegal
2018
Landlocked and Sea Surrounded – Showcase
Brighton Photographic Biennale, UK
2017
The Yellow Star Houses of Budapest
Irish Architectural Archive, Dublin
(Opened by Ruairí Quinn)
2017
The Yellow Star Houses of Budapest
Tate sponsored - Urban Photo Fest, London
2017
Borderlands – In Flux
Getxophoto Festival, Spain 2016
186th Annual Exhibition
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
2015
The Yellow Star Houses of Budapest
Architectural Association Galleries, London
(Curated by Zelda Cheatle)
talks, symposia & collaborations
2019
Theatre na de Dam
Collaboration with Amsterdam Community Theatre Group
2018
The Lost Moment: Civil Rights, Street Protest and Resistance in Northern Ireland
Panellist, Gallery of Photography Ireland Symposium
(Chaired by Kitty Holland)
2015
Saturday Gallery Talk
Architectural Association Galleries, London
publications & writting
2022
Mass Isolation Collection
Book publication, Gallery of Photography Ireland
2021
Frieze Magazine
Review of Dara McGrath’s ‘For Those That Tell No Tales’
Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
2020
Visual Arts Ireland News Sheet (VAN)
Regional Focus: County Louth
commissions & selected publications
2024
Design Milk (USA)
Photographic documentation of artist work2023
Créateurs Design Awards PublicaBon (France)
Photographic documentation of artist work
2022
Kultuhr Magazine (Germany)
Photographic documentation of artist work
2021
Galerie Magazine (USA)
Photographic documentation of artist work
2021
Wall Street Journal Magazine (USA)
Photographic documentation of artist work
2020
The Observer – New Review
Photographic commission
(Article by Seán O’Hagan: “Will Brexit reopen old wounds with a new hard border in Northern Ireland?”)
collections
National Photography Collection
Gallery of Photography Ireland, Dublin
professional background
1985
Technician, National College of Art and Design, Dublin
1986–1997
Worked in photography-based industries in London
1997 - 2018
Founded swannlocations, a photographic production company facilitating
International photographic productions in Ireland
2004–2018
Divided time between Central Europe and Ireland, developing production company alongside personal photographic practice
2011–2018
Based in France, maintaining practice in Ireland
2018–
Based full-time on the Cooley Peninsula, County Louth