Stephanie O'Connor (she/her) is a photographic artist from Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (New Zealand), currently based in Berlin, Germany. Her work uses the camera as a vehicle to rework memory through obsessive editing and grading. The images often work in the realm of the imagined site; exploring both reality and simulacrum. She extends these aims to a phenomenological level – exploring notions of belonging, imagination and remembrance.
EDUCATION -
Elam School of Fine Arts (Auckland University), Bachelor of Fine Arts. 2004 - 2007.
UPCOMING -
2025 "[PEP] Metamorphosis” - Group Show / La Nature Festival - ‘The waves came in like horses’ - Vielsalm, Belgium 19th - 23rd June.
EXHIBITIONS -
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS -
2025 Photo London - Lensculture Emerging Talent 2024 Winners - ‘Reigning toward Aries’ - Somerset House. London, UK. 15th - 18th May.
2025 la RATP invite - Fisheye Magazine - ‘Seas and Oceans’ - Installation Hôtel de Ville Metro. Paris, France. January - March.
2024 Paris Photo - PX3 State of the World - ‘Under the weight of flowers’ - Digital exhibition. Galerie 24b, 24 Rue Saint-Roch, 75001 Paris, France. November 7th - 10th.
2024 ImageNation - Just Women - ‘All Stars Stand Close in Summer Air’ - Fondazione Luciana Matalon, Foro Buonaparte 57, Milan, Italy. September 20 - 29th.
2024 ‘Never tire of looking at the stars’ - PhMuseum International Photography Festival - Screening projection. Spazio Bianco, Bologna Italy 12th - 15th September.
2024 "[PEP] Other Spaces - Group show - @ BPart Gallery, gallery curated by Loopraum. May 11th - June 7th 2024. Berlin, Germany.
2024 Image Nation Paris - “All stars stand close in summer air” - Galerie Joseph Le Palais - May 24th - 26th. Paris, France.
2024 LensCulture 25 Emerging Talents Group show - “Under the weight of flowers” - Caelum Gallery, New York, USA. 25th - 28th April.
2024 "[PEP] Photographic Explorations °01" - Group show - @ The Room, the gallery of 254Forest, as part of Photo Brussels Festival - European Month of Photography. January 25th - February 25th 2024.. Brussels, Belgium.
2023. June - Der Greif - ‘Past and Present’ - 15th Anniversary exhibition. Pinakothek der Moderne and ZIRKA, Munich, Germany.
2021. December - ‘Under the Sun and the Moon’ - Humble Arts Foundation, New York USA. Featuring ‘A thumping in the distance’ - Online exhibition curated by Roula Seikaly and Jon Feinstein. Visit show here.
2019. March - ‘Postcard Salon’ - Jarvis Dooney Gallery, Berlin, Germany. Featuring ‘Moon music’. 58 artists from around the world have taken part in our second Postcard Salon and experiment in collaborative exhibition making.
2017. May - ‘Bright Light, Soft Launch’ - Malcolm Smith Gallery, Howick Auckland. Bright Light, Soft Launch brings together emerging and established artists exploring representations of the figure through image making. With Yvonne Todd, Richard Orjis, Solomon Mortimer, Russ Flat, Jenna Baydee, Liyen Chong, Kevin Capon, Patrick pound, Tia Ranginui, Miss O'Neil, Ashlin Rawson, Di French. As part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
2016. May - ‘Figuration’ - Pah Homestead, Wallace Arts Trust. Featuring ‘Beast’. Recently acquired photography from the Wallace Arts Trust concerning forms with a multiplicity of forms and narratives. Hillsborough, Auckland. As part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
2014. October - ‘Braveheart Exhibition’ - 60 contemporary New Zealand artists. Pavilion 6, ASB Showgrounds, Green Lane.
2013. December - ‘Des Saloon Ferari’ - Des Saloon Ferari. 'A View From the Trees', with Mark Kaneko Watts. Grey Lynn.
2010. October – ‘Diversity’ – A Fine Line Gallery, Matakana - with Mark Watts, Jenny Tomlin, Barbara Cope, Karen Williamson, Charlie Wrigglesworth, Richard Smallfield, Di Halstead, Stephanie O’Connor, Sue Hill.
2010. June – ‘Reverie’ – Te Karanga Gallery. Karangahape Road, Auckland. As part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
2008. January – PhotoForum Members Exhibition – The Digital Darkroom, Dominion Road, Auckland - with Maurice Lye, Richard Smallfield, Scott Venning, Steph O'Connor, Richard Clark, Haruhiko Sameshima, John Turner, Mala Mayo, Mark Watts, Amanda A'Hara, Hamish Macdonald and Julie Downie.
SOLO SHOWS -
2024 Rotterdam Photo Festival - “Under the weight of flowers” - As part of Rotterdam Art Week. 1st - 4th February Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
2023. August - ‘All stars stand close in summer air’ + book launch - SóLaura Studio Berlin, Germany.
2015. May – ‘Release the Hounds’ – Pah Homestead, Wallace Arts Trust. Hillsborough, Auckland. As part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
2014. August – ‘Over Saturn's Limb’ – Golden Dawn, Ponsonby, Auckland.
2009. June – ‘Audition’ – Satellite Gallery. St Benedicts Street, Auckland. As part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
2008. July – ‘The Roof’ – The Digital Darkroom, Dominion Road, Auckland.
AWARDS -
2025 Belfast Photo Festival - ‘Reigning toward Aries’- SHORTLISTED.
2025 Aesthetica Art Prize - ‘Under the weight of flowers’- LONGLISTED.
2024 Lensculture 25 Emerging Talent award - ‘Reigning toward Aries’. WINNER.
2024 PX3 Paris Photo - Bronze award, Fine Art category - ‘Under the weight of flowers’.
2024 BBA + MPB hashtag campaign - ‘Under the weight of flowers’. WINNER.
2024 Photo Lucida Critical Mass Top 200 - ‘Never tire of looking at the stars’.
2024 Belfast Photo Festival - ‘Under the weight of flowers’- SHORTLISTED.
2023 Lensculture 25 Emerging Talent Award - ‘Under the weight of flowers’. WINNER. gallery here
2015 Kingsize Studios photography scholarship.
2014 Annual Wallace Art Awards Finalist.
2014 1st place Sigma Amateur Photographer of the Year People category.
BOOKS -
2023 ‘All stars stand close in summer air’ - self published photobook, first print edition of 80, with poetry by Frances Libeau. Solo show ‘All stars stand close in summer air’ + book launch - SóLaura Studio Berlin, Germany.
2022 Featured contributor / Photo Books Now - Coastal - ‘how much better, if you slept forever?’ series - Designed and curated by Andrew Wurster.
FEATURED -
2025 Artsinsquare - 5x7 Photobook.
2025 Lensculture - Award winner feature - “Reigning toward Aries”. Feature here.
2024/2025 Aesthetica Art Magazine - issue #122 - Print artist feature - “Never tire of looking at the stars” - December 2024/January 2025 edition.
2024 C4 Journal - Book review by Laura Bivolaru - “All stars stand close in summer air”. Review here.
2024 Float Magazine - Online artist feature - “Reigning toward Aries”. Feature here.
2024 see-zeen - issue #14 - Online magazine publication - Winter 2024 edition. Feature here.
2024 Sola Journal - instagram takeover - 19th - 22nd February.
2023 Aesthetica Magazine - Artist feature - ‘Under the weight of flowers’. Feature here
2023 Fisheye le mag – Voyage - ‘All Stars Stand Close in Summer Air : Stephanie O’Connor colore la Nouvelle Zélande avec ses émotions. article here
2023 ‘Fawns of the City’ - In association with: Gallery - Bloc projects and Poet - Otis Mensah, Designer - Carmen Reina. Billboard. Sheffield, U.K.
2023 Lensculture Critics‘ Choice Competition Gallery – Editors‘ Picks. - ‘Under the weight of flowers’.
2023 Book signing ‘All stars stand close in summer air’ @ PODESTA Photobook Fair - Les Rencontres D'arles. Arles, France.
2023 Subtext & Discourse Art world podcast - an interview with Michael Dooney.
2022 Account takeover, Women In Photography NZ & AU, New Zealand - in conversation with Virginia Woods-Jack.
2022 Rosehouse – Conceptual Projects online exhibition. A curated platform for emerging photographers.
2021 Lensculture Critics‘ Choice Competition Gallery – “A thumping in the distance” Editors‘ Picks.
COLLECTIONS -
Angela Morton Room - Te Pātaka Toi Art Library. Aotearoa NZ Art books, journals & artists files. New Zealand.
Samoa House Library - Independant Art Library. Tāmaki Makarau, New Zealand.
Wallace Arts Trust.