Olivia Hassett works with her body as a live material. She aims to reflect human existence as being something that is constantly changing and being re-defined. Olivia creates all encompassing performance-installations, which invent connections at various levels from the individual to the collective; the microscopic to the cosmic.
Through her practice Olivia aims to territorialise the space, thus deterritorialising the viewer in an effort to achieve a heightened sense of being in the participant. Olivia also proposes to question the viewer on what it means to be viscerally alive and if only for a brief moment be outside the constraints and structures imposed by society.
“The beautiful abstract forms from her current body of work are strangely ambiguous and alluring; at first they seem evocative of the intricate musculature and internal organs of the human body, yet on closer inspection the sculptures take on a myriad of other possible meanings and symbols. This vagueness and uncertainty makes each sculpture all the more fascinating and captivating. Never wishing to explain or describe these abstract forms, Hassett is happy to let the viewer make their own interpretation”
Tara Murphy, Director, Solomon Gallery
EXHIBITIONS
May 2011 90 Francis Street, Dublin
Interim Group Exhibition
Jan 2011 Basic Space, Slack space, Dublin City
Group Exhibition
Aug 2010 Tom Barrys, Cork City
Group Exhibition ‘Living in Interesting Times’
Mar 2010 Crawford Gallery, Cork City
2010: a 20 year celebration of Backwater Artists Studios
Feb 2010 The Other Place, Cork City
Collaborative Installation
October 2008 Backwater Artists Group, Cork City
Biosphere, one-person exhibition of drawings
May 07 Dunsland Gardens, Glanmire, Cork
One-person exhibition of Outdoor Sculpture
Sept 2006 South Dublin County Council Building
Biomorph, Solo Exhibition of recent sculpture by Olivia Hassett
2006 National College of Art and Design
CEAD Exhibiiton
2006 Hermione Exhibition
2005 Solomon Gallery
Christmas Group Exhibition
2005 Botanic Gardens
Sculpture in Context Exhibition
2005 GreenanMuseum Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
2005 SolomonGallery
Sculpture & Gardens Exhibition
2004 Botanic Gardens
Sculpture in Context Exhibition
2004 Hermione Exhibition
2004 National College of Art and Design
CEAD Exhibition
2004 Solomon Gallery
Summer Group Exhibition
2003 SolomonGallery
Christmas Group Exhibition
2003 National College of Art and Design
CEAD Exhibition
2001 The Craft Granary Gallery, Cahir
Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
1996 NationalCollege of Art and Design, Dublin
250th Degree Exhibition
1986 Ormond Multimedia Centre, Dublin
249 Pre Degree Exhibition
1993/1994 Slogadh Exhibition, Dundalk
AWARDS
2004 Sculpture in Context Exhibition - Distinction in Bronze Award
1993 Slogadh Travel and Art Award
1991 Our Lady's School Leavers Art Trophy
FURTHER EDUCATION
2003-2005 NationalCollege of Art and Design, Thomas Street, Dublin
Bronze Casting Course Advanced (Lost Wax Method)
2003 Firestation, Buckingham Street, Dublin
Glass Slumping
2003 NationalCollege of Art and Design, Thomas Street, Dublin
Bronze Casting Introduction (Lost Wax Method) course
2003 Firestation, Buckingham Street, Dublin
Informing Forms Large Sculpture Course
2002-2003 National College of Art and Design, Thomas Street, Dublin
Bronze Casting & Life Drawing course
1990 GCSE Black and White Photography
BIOGRAPHY
Olivia Hassett was born in Dublin in 1974. Having completed an Honours Degree in Fine Art Sculpture at the National College of Art & Design, Dublin in 1996, Olivia went on to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Advertising Management from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Aungier Street. On completing these studies Olivia worked in the advertising industry and in Radio Teilifis Eireann for a further five years.
In 2002
Olivia returned to sculpting and has since focused on working in various
media, combined with ongoing professional development.
Olivia is currently a student at the National College of Art and Design and is due to obtain her Masters in Fire Art Sculpture in 2012.
