BIOGRAPHY
NORMAN O’FLYNN
Norman O’Flynn (b. 1971) is a prolific painter and sculptor who has held numerous solo shows and participated in group exhibitions, residencies and workshops across the globe – from Switzerland to Egypt, Lebanon to Zambia. His love of an interdisciplinary approach and cross-cultural collaboration add extra pep to his distinct visual language, a vocabulary of immediately and globally recognisable imagery.
EDUCATION
1988-1992 BA FA, Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, South Africa
AWARDS & RESIDENCIES
2017,-18,-19 Pietra Santa Sculpture Residency, Italy
2016 IICD Residency, Nigeria
2009 Triangle Artists’ Workshop, Beirut (Lebanon)
2007 ABSA L’Atelier finalist, Johannesburg (South Africa)
2006 Pro-Helvetia Fellowship and residency at Altes Spital, Solothurn (Switzerland)
2005 Centre for the Book, Alexandria (Egypt)
2004 Thapong International Artists’ Residency, Gaborone (Botswana)
2005 ABSA L’Atelier finalist, Johannesburg (South Africa)
2004 Brett Kebble Art Awards national finalist (South Africa)
2004 ABSA L’Atelier top 100, Johanensburg (South Africa)
2003 Batapata Triangle International Workshop, Chikanga (Zimbabwe)
2003 Insaka International Artists’ Residency, Rockstone Studios, Lusaka (Zambia)
1992 Irma Stern Award for Excellence in Printmaking, University of Cape Town (South Africa)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 The Rising Tide, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna (South Africa)
2020 Lovesick, WorldArt, Cape Town (South Africa)
2019 Cool and Composed, WorldArt, Cape Town (South Africa)
2018 Timekeeper, Art Supermarket Asia, Hong Kong (China)
2018 GNOMON. Worldart, Cape Town (South Africa)
2017 Better & Better. Worldart, Cape Town (South Africa)
2016 The good, the bad and the BOOM! Worldart, Cape Town (South Africa)
2015 BANG BANG BOOM. Diedericks Faber. Johannesburg / Cape Town (South Africa)
2012 Guardians. Worldart, Cape Town (South Africa)
2010 Deep Down we all want to rob a Bank. Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town (South Africa)
2009 The World Needs Me. Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town (South Africa)
2007 Never Too Late To Be A Man, Bell Roberts Contemporary, Cape Town (South Africa)
2005 The Bull and Other Stories, Bell Roberts Contemporary, Cape Town (South Africa)
2005 Currency, AVA, Association for Visual Art, Cape Town (South Africa)
2004 Behind The Tent, Thapong, Gaborone (Botswana)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 25th Anniversary Exhibition, Knysna (South Africa)
2020 United Nations, Symbols of Life, Freedom and Happiness, New York (US) & Geneva (Switzerland)
2020 Liminality in Space, AAF, Lagos,( Nigeria)
2019 Forward? Forward! Forward…, Stellenbosch University centenary exhibition at US Museum, Stellenbosch
2019 NEL, Inaugural Exhibition, Cape Town (South Africa)
2019 Threesome, 19 Karen Gallery, Gold Coast (Australia)
2017 Nando’s Pop-Up, SOHO (London)
2016 The Space Between/The Noise Behind, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria (South Africa)
2016 South Africa - A Cohesive Clash, Tanya Baxter Gallery, London (UK)
2016 Imagio Mundi, Luciano Benetton Collection, Venice (Italy) & New York (US)
2015 Old White Men, Alma Martha Project Space, Cape Town (South Africa)
2014 Sound Diary, M-Contemporary, Sydney (Australia)
2011 Present/History, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town (South Africa)
2010 The Laboratory for Recycled Revolutions, curator Isa Suarez, Greatmore International Artists’ Studios, Woodstock, Cape Town
2010 Minor Matters. Department of Fine Arts.UFS.Bloemfontein (South Africa)
2010 Premondial Barocco. II Ramo D’oro. Naples (Italy)
2010 Conceptual Matters. Erdmann Contemporary. Cape Town, South Africa.
2010 Bristol Art Fair. Bristol, UK.
2009 The World Needs Us, Centro Luigi Di Sarro, Rome (Italy)
2009 Exchange. COWI, Copenhagen (Denmark)
2007 South African Art on Paper, Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney (Australia)
2006 20<Artists>06, special project (curated and conceptualized by Norman O’Flynn for 20 artists), Bell-Roberts Gallery, Cape Town & Johannesburg
2006 the blank paper project, as part of the Cape Biennial, blank projects, Cape Town (South Africa)
2006 The Heritage Cache, curated by Cobus van Bosch and Arlene Amaler-Raviv, secret location, Cape Town (South Africa)
2004 D.I.E.N.S., KKNK National Arts Festival, curator: Liza Grobler, Oudtshoorn (South Africa)
2002 YDESire Art Night, curated by: James Webb and Kim Stern, Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town (South Africa)
ART FAIRS
2020, -19, -18, -17, -16 Investec Cape Town International Art Fair
2020, -19 Sydney Contemporary, Sydney (Australia)
2019, -18,-17 Turbine Art Fair, represented by WorldArt Gallery
2018 Stroke International Art Fair, Munich (Germany)
2018, -12,-11 FNB Johannesburg Art Fair, Johannesburg (South Africa)
2017 Scope Miami, Miami (United States)
2016,-17 Moniker Art Fair, London (United Kingdom)
COLLECTIONS
Collections include: Deutsche Bank, Nando’s Contemporary Art (UK/Australia/South Africa), Hollard Insurance, Luciano Benetton, MTN, University of Cape Town, MAP South Africa, Sanlam, Spier and private collections across the globe.
