Siobhán Hapaska

Siobhán Hapaska was born in 1963 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She received her education at Middlesex Polytechnic in London, graduating in 1988, and later attended Goldsmiths' College in London, completing her studies in 1992. Currently, she lives and works in London.

Siobhán Hapaska's Art Style

Siobhán Hapaska's sculptures delve into the complexities of conflict, faith, and the human condition. Her work is distinguished by the use of a diverse range of materials, each carrying historical significance and multiple interpretations. Elements such as olive trees, deerskins, coconuts, wheat, moss, and sheepskin are juxtaposed with sleek aerodynamic forms, aluminum, engines, artillery, concrete cloth, and industrial machinery. This combination creates forms that often feel anthropomorphic or animalistic, sparking humor and pathos.

Hapaska's works frequently reference themes of travel, rootlessness, and displacement. Many of her sculptures are kinetic, moving or shaking, and feature uprooted trees and plants situated in surreal landscapes crafted from opalescent fiberglass. Despite a sense of disquiet, her sculptures embody hope, desire, and longing amid adverse global conditions and political or spiritual unrest. Her approach is underscored by a dark wit, playfulness, and a commitment to physical objects as conduits for empathy and emotion.

Exhibitions of Siobhán Hapaska's Works

Siobhán Hapaska has showcased her works widely. Solo exhibitions of her art have been held at various galleries and museums worldwide, including Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin, Andréhn-Schiptjenko in Paris, Kerlin Gallery in Dublin, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Hidde van Seggelen Gallery in London, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in New York,  Ormeau Baths Gallery in Belfast, Camden Art Centre in London, Sezon Museum of Art in Tokyo, and many more.

Additionally, Hapaska's works have been featured in numerous group shows, including "LOEWE Crafted World" at Shanghai Exhibition Centre (2024), "Trickster Figures: Sculpture and the Body" at MK Gallery in Milton Keynes (2023), "Ghosts from the Recent Past" at Irish Museum of Modern Art (2021), "Delirious" at Lustwarande Platform for Contemporary Sculpture in Tilburg (2019), among others.