Marie O’Connor

Marie O’Connor is a textile designer, artist and educator. Her practice is rooted in making, research and material histories; 19th and 20th century decorative arts, costume, and the archive in the fields of textiles, dress and craft are recurring references. 

A main area of investigation is in the relationship between flatness and form. ‘Translation’ and ‘play’ are central to her approach, creating surprising situations between body and clothing, image and object, and scale and distance. 

Depending on the context, Marie makes works to be looked at, handled, worn, or activated through participatory engagement. 




Contact

info.marieoconnor@gmail.com
Instagram

Solo exhibitions


  • 2019  Lager på lager, Rian Design Museum, Falkenberg.
  • 2018  Wear CRM, The Lighthouse Centre for Design & Architecture, Glasgow.
  • 2010  Drawn Thread Work, Detroit Gallery, Stockholm.
  • 2005  And so on+sew on+so+so, The Lighthouse Centre for Design & Architecture, Glasgow.


Group exhibitions (selected)


  • 2025  Shifting, Lusthuset, Stockholm.  
  • 2025  Peepshow @ tokyobike, London. 
  • 2024  Shaping Stories, Hallwylska Museum, Stockholm.
  • 2024  Fragmentary Acts, Ateljé Kedjan, Göteborg.
  • 2023  In between, Tina Hellberg Gallery, Stockholm.
  • 2022  Parts & Pieces, wip:sthlm, Stockholm.
  • 2019  Om dessa väggar kunde tala, Fullersta Gård, Stockholm.
  • 2019  SEX, Crum Heaven, Stockholm.
  • 2017  Vårutställning, Research Lab, Konstfack, Stockholm.
  • 2017  Sample, The Lighthouse Centre for Design & Architecture, Glasgow.
  • 2013  •˙~≤| ^, Detroit Gallery, Stockholm.
  • 2013  The Geometrics Volume 1, Kingsgate Gallery, London. 
  • 2012  The Museum of Objects & Origins, Pick Me Up, Somerset House, London. 
  • 2012  Fashionshop, Motola Konsthall.
  • 2012  Fashionshop, ArkDes The Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design, Stockholm.
  • 2011  Book on the Fritz #02, Gallery Steinsland Berliner, Stockholm.
  • 2009  If You Could Collaborate, A Foundation Gallery, Rochelle School, London.
  • 2006  Trans_vision, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
  • 2006  Counter:vision, The Hayward Gallery, London.


Workshops and public events


  • 2023  Cut, Stick, Repeat, Cove Park, Scotland. 
  • 2023  Ways of Weaving, Studio Pavilion, Glasgow. 
  • 2019  Cut_Collage_Draw, Cove Park, Scotland.
  • 2018  Wear CRM, The Lighthouse Centre for Design & Architecture, Glasgow.
  • 2017  Shaping Textiles, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
  • 2017  Unpick, Konstfack, Stockholm.
  • 2016  Cut, Link, Wrap, The Reid Gallery, Glasgow School of Art.
  • 2016  Material Play, Textílsetur Íslands, Blönduós, Iceland.
  • 2016  A Line Is A Dot That Went For A Walk, Serpentine Gallery, London.
  • 2014  Wiener Werkstätte Wearables, ReachOut RCA, London.
  • 2011  Year 2051, Konstfack, Stockholm.
  • 2011  Make_Shape, Norrköpings Konstmuseum.
  • 2010  Paper, Scissors, Draw, ReachOut RCA, London.
  • 2009  Peepshow Animate the V&A, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.


Commissions (selected)

  • 2000—19  Ara’kai Beauty, Checkland Kindleysides, Coco de Mer, DROMe, Dazed & Confused, Evisu, Levi’s, MINED, The New York Times, Nylon, Nokia, Shiseido, SHOWstudio, TANK, Topshop, Toyota, Viewpoint, Wieden & Kennedy.



Residencies


  • 2018  International Craft Residency, Cove Park, Scotland.
  • 2016  Building Blocks Designer in Residence, Glasgow School of Art.
  • 2016  TextílseturÍslands Residency, Blönduós, Iceland.


Texts


  • 2021  Patterns of Behaviour in Jumbies, ed. Panel, Glasgow International.
  • 2019  Lager på lager/Layer on Layer, Rian Design Museum, Falkenberg. 


Talks (selected)


  • 2023  Parts & Pieces: In conversation, Studio Tina Hellberg, Stockholm.
  • 2017  Tales from a Shirt and Other Stories, Cloth Cultures: Legacies of Dorothy K. Burnham, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.
  • 2017  Where We Are Now, Research Week, Konstfack, Stockholm.
  • 2010  Fashion Art New Roads, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm.
  • 2009  A Shared History of Play, with Peter Nencini, Brick Lane Gallery, London.


Grants and awards


2025—27  Stockholm Studio Support Grant.
2022  Petra and Karl Erik Hedborg Foundation.
2022—24  Stockholm Studio Support Grant.
2021  One-year working grant, The Swedish Arts Grants Committee.
2021  Crisis Grant 3, The Swedish Arts Grants Committee.
2020  Crisis Grant 2, The Swedish Arts Grants Committee.
2016  Estrid Ericsson Foundation, Research Travel Grant.
2007—08  Colonel Maclean Trust Scheme.
2007  The Coats Foundation Trust. 
2007  The Cross Trust.
2007  Dewar Arts Award.
2006—07  The Glasgow Educational and Marshall Trust.


Teaching


Visiting tutor 
  • 2018—25  BA Visual Communication + Change, Linnaeus University, Kalmar.
  • 2018—25  BA Design + Change, Linnaeus University, Växjö.
2016—19  MA Craft, Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm. 

Senior Lecturer
  • 2011—15  BA Fashion, Beckmans College of Design, Stockholm.

Associate Lecturer
  • 2002—06  FAD Communication Design, Camberwell College of Arts, London.

Guest tutor  (selected)
  • 2000—23  Beckmans College of Design, Stockholm; Camberwell College of Arts, London; Chelsea College of Arts, London; Glasgow School of Art; Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm; London College of Communication; Royal College of Art, London; University of Hertfordshire.  


Education


  • 2006—08  MA Constructed Textiles, Royal College of Art, London.
  • 2004  Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching Art and Design, University of the Arts, London.
  • 1995—99  BA (Hons) Embroidered & Woven Textiles, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow.

© Marie O’Connor 2025