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Overview
John O'Carroll (Cornwall, *1958) is a contemporary artist whose practice is deeply rooted in place, time, and material. Dividing his year between his studio on the Cornish coast and a winter studio in Egypt’s Western Desert, he draws inspiration from two landscapes shaped by elemental force.
For over 30 years, O’Carroll has also worked as an archaeological illustrator, meticulously recording ancient sites. This discipline of close observation and respect for the past permeates his art. He often incorporates pigments, ancient painting techniques and objects with historical resonance, allowing traces of antiquity to infuse his contemporary practice. Precious metals are a recurring element in his work, carrying ancient symbolism and interacts with his restricted colour palette to create surfaces that seem to capture and release fleeting moments of time.
His career spans decades of international recognition. O’Carroll has exhibited worldwide, including solo exhibitions with Roger Katwijk Gallery in the Netherlands and at Pan Amsterdam, as well as exhibitions at the Holly Solomon Gallery in New York and the Dutch-Flemish Institute in Cairo. He contributed to significant projects including the Colours of Oasis exhibition at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden (2012), and the Anthropocene exhibition at Cornwall’s Eden Project. In 2005, he participated in the Alexandria International Biennial Discovering the Book, and his work has also been shown at the British Embassy and the residence of the Dutch ambassador in Cairo.
Collected by both private and corporate patrons — including Akzo Nobel, AMC, VUmc, Loyens & Loeff, Accenture, and the NCM British Headquarters in Cardiff. O’Carroll’s works offer more than visual experience; they invite contemplation. Through his practice, he continues to navigate the intersections of art, archaeology and the vast landscapes of the natural world. -
Works
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John O'CarrollRock + Sea V, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, copper leaf on panel with raw steel frame86 x 122 x 3.5 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollWhite Rock III, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, brass leaf on panel with raw steel frame182 x 155 x 4 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollEdge #4, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, copper and gold leaf on panel with raw steel frame155 x 106 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollRock + Sea II, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, silver and copper leaf on panel with raw steel frame125 x 97 x 3.5 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollBess Rock #1, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, silver leaf on panel with raw steel frame182 x 155 x 4 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollEstuary II, 2025Gesso, natural pigment on panel with raw steel frame117 x 56 x 3.5 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollFALL OF WATER, 2025Gesso, pigment, copper leaf on panel with bespoke steel frame60 x 50 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollBIG SKY, 2024Gesso, natural pigment on wooden panel with bespoke steel frame200 x 90 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollHARBOUR #4, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, silver leaf on panel with raw steel frame123 x 82 x 4 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollThe Path Of Water III, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, copper leaf on wooden panel with bespoke steel frame200 x 90 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollPath Of Water #7, 2025Gesso, natural pigment, copper leaf on panel with raw steel frame196 x 66 x 4 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollConfluence #1, 2025Gesso, gold leaf and glaze on a hand-formed bent wood panel97 x 106 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollConfluence #2, 2025Gesso, copper leaf and glaze on a hand-formed bent wood panel106 x 110 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollConfluence #3, 2025Gesso, copper leaf and glaze on a hand-formed bent wood panel115 x 110 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollConfluence #4, 2025Gesso, copper leaf and glaze on a hand-formed bent wood panel96 x 93 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollPath Of Water, 2024Gesso, natural pigment, copper leaf on panel120 x 120 x 5 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollEdge #1, 2024Natural pigment, silver leaf on wooden panel with bespoke steel frame200 x 90 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollMoorland II, 2024Gesso, pigment, copper leaf on panel with bespoke steel frame200 x 55 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollPlace, 2024Gesso, natural pigment, silver and copper leaf on panel125 x 150 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollThe Path Of Water X, 2023Gesso, natural pigment, copper leaf on wooden panel with bespoke steel frame204 x 43 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollPlace / White Desert, 2023Gesso, natural pigment, copper on wooden panel with steel frame45 x 130 cmView more details
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John O'CarrollFALL OF WATER, 2023Gesso, pigment, copper leaf on panel with bespoke steel frame180 x 153 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollFALL OF WATER III, 2023Gesso, pigment, copper leaf on panel with bespoke steel frame125 x 125 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollFALL OF WATER IIII, 2023Gesso, pigment, copper leaf on panel with bespoke steel frame155 x 122 cmSoldView more details
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John O'CarrollThe Path Of Water IX, 2023Gesso, natural pigment, copper and silver leaf on curved panel170 x 140 cmSoldView more details
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Installation shots
