Ruairiadh O'Connell is an artist and clinical practitioner whose work moves between large-scale installation, community-embedded practice, and the intersection of art with health, perception, and the experience of illness.
Based in London, O'Connell has collaborated with UCL, Parkinson's UK, English National Ballet, the Wellcome Trust, and Alzheimer's Society — using art as a site where medical research and lived experience meet. Alongside an international exhibition career, he holds clinical training in art psychotherapy at the University of Roehampton, affiliated with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. His practice asks what art can hold that language alone cannot.
Drawing Biennial 2026Who is Ruairiadh O'Connell?
Ruairiadh O'Connell is an Irish-Scottish artist based in London whose work explores perception, authorship, and the slippage between visual culture and lived experience. He works across installation, printmaking, drawing, and research-led collaboration with healthcare institutions. He is selected for Drawing Biennial 2026 at Drawing Room, London.
What is Ruairiadh O'Connell selected for in 2026?
O'Connell is selected for Drawing Biennial 2026 at Drawing Room, London, with the work A Passenger on the Ship of Fools — a lithograph print on suede taking Hieronymus Bosch as a philosophical and visual point of departure.
What institutions has Ruairiadh O'Connell worked with?
O'Connell has collaborated with UCL, Parkinson's UK, English National Ballet, the Wellcome Trust, Alzheimer's Society, the Science Museum London, and Central Saint Martins UAL. He holds clinical training in art psychotherapy at the University of Roehampton, affiliated with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.
Where has Ruairiadh O'Connell exhibited?
O'Connell has exhibited internationally including at Jessica Silverman Gallery San Francisco, Lungley Gallery London, MMK Frankfurt, Josh Lilley Gallery London, Frieze Art Fair London, and the Mead Gallery Warwick University. He is represented by Lungley Gallery, London.
What awards has Ruairiadh O'Connell received?
O'Connell has received the Churchill Fellowship, the Parkinson's UK Excellence Network Award 2023 for the Patterns of Perception in Parkinson's Disease project, and the Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Award 2022.
What is Ruairiadh O'Connell's approach to arts and health?
O'Connell develops research-led collaborations at the intersection of visual art, clinical practice, and lived experience of illness. His projects with Parkinson's UK, UCL, and English National Ballet used creative workshops, textile-making, and dance to shift understanding of neurological conditions. He brings both an international exhibition career and clinical training in art psychotherapy to collaborative projects.
Is Ruairiadh O'Connell available for commissions and collaborations?
Yes. O'Connell works with healthcare organisations, museums, universities, and arts institutions on projects at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and visual art. Contact: ruairiadhoconnell@gmail.com
What is art psychotherapy?
Art psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art-making as its primary mode of communication and expression. It is used with a wide range of people including children, adults with mental health difficulties, and those living with neurological conditions. O'Connell is training in art psychotherapy at the University of Roehampton, affiliated with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.