About — Shane Hynan Photography

Biography

Irish artist Shane Hynan (b. 1976) holds an MFA in Photography (Ulster University 2019). His practice centres on photography with experimental elements in sound, video, collage, and sculpture. The metaphorical exploration of place, land and architecture is a significant subtext throughout his work.

He draws upon conceptual, performative and subjective documentary approaches and works primarily with analogue photography processes as it enhances his intuitive connection with landscape and topography.

He’s shown his work extensively in Ireland and received multiple awards from the Arts Council, Creative Ireland and Kildare Arts. He’s exhibited internationally in China, Germany and the UK. In 2024 he undertook residencies at the Centre Culturel Irlandais (Paris) and Roscommon Arts Centre and was awarded both a Visual Arts Bursary and Project award from the Arts Council.

He's also part of the ‘Tóch | Dig’ Collective working on a phased, intergenerational, collaborative and community engaged project with 2 other local artists, exploring communities of place and interest connected to bogs in north Kildare, and the effects of climate change on communities past, present and future.

Current Shows

‘Bogskin’ group exhibition in RHA; a major retrospective of bog related work curated by Patrick Murphy (2025)

Upcoming Shows

Solo show of full body of work for ‘Beneath | Beofhód’ at Photo Museum Ireland (April 2026)

Solo Exhibitions

‘Beneath | Beofhód’ Solo Exhibition at National Museum of Ireland – Country Life (2022)

‘Bealtaine’ Solo Exhibition at Kildare Town Library (2022)

'Beneath | Beofhod' Solo Exhibition, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Kildare, Ireland (2021)

'Beneath | Beofhód' Solo Exhibition (Digital), Edenderry Library, Offaly County Council (2020)

Group Exhibitions

Periodical Review 14 ‘A Language to Shout In’ at Pallas Project / Studios (until 25th Jan 2025)

On The Irish Photobook, Photobook/NZ Biennial, Wellington, New Zealand (2024)

‘Changing States: Ireland in the 21st Century’ group show, Haus am Kleistpark for Zeitgeist Irland 24, curated by Photo Museum Ireland in partnership with Ralph Goertz (2024)

Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), 194th Annual Exhibition, Dublin (2024)

Outcomes work by RHA Critical Correspondence class of 2023, Ranelagh Arts (2024)

‘Irish Energy’ group show, Die Möglichkeit einer Insel for Zeitgeist Irland 24 (2024)

Dunamaise Arts Centre, Open Submission Group Show (2023)

Halftone Print Fair, The Library Project, Dublin (2023)

Tøn Gallery Open Call Exhibition (2023)

Soul Noir Festival – The Gothic Interior (2023)

RCPI Art Exhibition on Climate and Health (2023)

‘Commuovere’ exhibition at Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival (2023).

Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), 193rd Annual Exhibition, Dublin (2023)

Finding Form – Selected work from Kildare’s Municipal Art Collection, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare (2023).

Turning Point, Turning World, #Next - Raw Photo Triennial Worpswede, Germany (2023)

Interwoven - Scariff Public Library, Co. Clare, Ireland (2023)

GOMA 6th Annual Members Exhibition, Waterford (2022)

Halftone Print Fair, The Library Project, Dublin (2022)

Pulse Summer Exhibition, Limerick City Gallery of Art (2022)

‘Images Are All We Have’, PhotoIreland Festival, The Printworks, Dublin Castle (2022)

‘In Our Own Image: The Politics of Place’, Gallery of Photography, Dublin (2022)

Royal Hibernian Academy, 192nd Annual Exhibition, Dublin (2022)

Open Exhibition ‘you breath differently down here’ at Draíocht. Curated by Amanda Coogan (2022)

Royal Hibernian Academy, 191st Annual Exhibition, Dublin (2021)

‘Through the Looking Glass’ at Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival (2021)

Art of Energy Award, Centre of Energy Ethics, University of St Andrews (2021)

Royal Hibernian Academy, 190th Annual Exhibition, Dublin (2020)

Beyond the Camera, Pingyao International Photography Festival, China. Curated by Sian Bonnell (2019)

Post-Truth, Belfast Exposed. Curated by Deirdre Robb & Mirjami Schuppert (2019)

CEAD Graduate show, NCAD, Dublin (2017)

Photography & Art Awards

Shortlisted for Belfast Photo Festival (2025)

Nominated for Leica Oskar Barnack Award by Cale Garrido (2025)

Selected by PhotoIreland for FUTURES Photography Platform (2025)

Visual Arts Project Award, Arts Council (2024)

Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council (2024)

Shortlisted Royal Photographic Society IPE166 (2024)

Kildare Creative Ireland Bursary Award for phased intergenerational community engagement project ‘Tóch | Dig’ with Pamela de Brí and Sheena Malone (2024)

Agility Award, Round 2, Arts Council (2023)

Association of Photographers (AOP) Open Award finalist (2023)

Arts Act Grant Kildare County Council Arts Service (2023)

Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council (2022)

Research & Thinking Bursary Award, Kildare County Council Arts Service (2022)

Arts Act Grant, Kildare County Council Arts Service (2022)

Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursary Award, Kildare County Council Arts Service (2022)

Agility Award, Round 3, Arts Council (2021)

Shortlisted Royal Photographic Society IPE163 (2021)

Professional Development Award under Visual Arts, Arts Council (2020)

Visual Arts Bursary Award, Arts Council (2020)

Gill Berry Visual Artist Bursary Award, Kildare Arts Service (2020)