Within artwork that has spanned four decades there has been a persistent recurring focus centred around Morris' immediate environment. Mixing humour and seriousness the work, often likened to a multi-layered dark poetry, touches on a broad range of subjects, from the highly personal to the public and political. Placing an emphasis on close observation and perceptual manipulation, works can explore the familiar, the familial and the interstices and interactions of life. Walking is intrinsic to his process, frequently gleaning materials from liminal spaces, the edges of the city and coastline.
He posts regularly to an Instagram account especiallyeverything @lockymorrisartist seeing it as a form of parallel practice. He has also made many works and interventions in the public domain.
During the 80s and 90s Morris became known for producing work that referred and reacted explicitly to the Northern Irish conflict. Some early pieces were shown in the British Art Show touring Britain (1990) and New North (1990) and Strongholds (1991) at the Tate Gallery, Liverpool, while also being exhibited in his local neighbourhood, in places like disused bookmakers, community centres and vacant premises. Recent solo presentations at institutions and galleries have included the RCC in Donegal, Ireland, F.E. Mc William Gallery, Northern Ireland, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Germany and Mothers Tankstation, Dublin. He has collaborated recently with artist Jaki Irvine to show at The Complex Gallery, Dublin and subsequently Void Gallery, Derry, and continues to exhibit widely with group exhibitions at the Thames-Side Studios Gallery, London, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, Eva International, IMMA, Dublin, Mario Mauroner, Vienna and The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
EDUCATION
1979-80
University of Ulster, Belfast
1980-83
Manchester Polytechnic, Manchester, England
WORK IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS include
Arts Council Collection, Dublin
The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
IMMA, Dublin
Ulster Museum, Belfast
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
OPW State Art Collection, Ireland
Belfast Media Group
Donegal County Council
Derry City Council
SOLO/TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS/PUBLIC ART PROJECTS (Selected)
2023
Last chance for a dark wash, Regional Cultural Centre, Donegal, Ireland
Re_sett_ing_s, Jaki Irvine & Locky Morris, Void Gallery, Derry
2022
Re_sett_ing_s, Jaki Irvine & Locky Morris, Complex Gallery, Dublin
Stucaí a Screabháin, Public Artwork for the Áislann Building, Páirc Ghnó Ghaoth Dobhair, Údarás na Gaeltachta
2021
Outside Job and No. 8, Billboard commissions. The Void Gallery, Derry
2020
Always Never Ending, Art Arcadia (on-line residency)
2019
Once a day every day all day long, F. E. Mc William Gallery, Banbridge, N. Ireland
Once a day everyday all day long, Nerve Visual Gallery, Ebrington, Derry
These Frail Monuments, St Augustines Old Schoolhouse, Derry
The Very Walls, Verbal Arts Centre, Derry
Mergers and acquisitions, Glebe Gallery, Modern art museum, Donegal
2018
Internal/External Artworks, Macmillan Cancer Support Centre, Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry
2017
Stop Lookin’ at Photographs!, Naughton Gallery, Queens, Belfast
We Shall Overcome, Integrated Architectural Artwork, Museum Of Free Derry
2015
Longsleeper, Oakfield Park, Raphoe, Co. Donegal.
2013
Dead On, Public Artwork, Brooke Park, Derry, Void Sites, Artists' Gardens (City of Culture)
A Week in Goals, Beechwood Shops, Creggan, Derry (City of Culture)
2011
This Then, Regional Cultural Centre, Donegal, Ireland
Window Sill, Context Gallery, Derry, Northern Ireland
2010
From Day One, Mother’s Tankstation, Dublin
This Then, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
2008
Me and my shadow, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Mannheimer, Germany
2007
The Fid, Old Stone Pier, Moville, Co. Donegal
2006
Polestar, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
2005
Premises, 3 works for 3 shops, Derry
First Judgement in Ireland, Ballyshannon Courthouse, Donegal
2002
Home Entertainment, Orchard Gallery, Derry
2001
Atlantic Drift, City Council Offices, Strand Road, Derry
2000
The Work of a Dog, Context Gallery, Derry
Dry, Bundoran Seafront Public Art Trail, Co. Donegal
1999
A Day’s Work (permanent video work) Mullan’s Bar, Little James’ St, Derry
1997
Past Conversation (installation using sound), Old Bookies, Chamberlain Street, Derry
1994
Comm II, Orchard Gallery, Derry
1992
Comm, Cornerhouse, Manchester
1986
In Their Place, Nine Sculptures for Derry City Walls, City Council Arts
1985
Sculpture, Orchard Gallery, Derry
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (Selection)
2023/24
Periodical Review 13—Maslow’s Hammer, Pallas Projects Studios, Dublin
2023
Breaking the Narrative, Thames-Side Studios Gallery, London
2022
The Golden Fleece Award : 21 Years, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co. Meath
WEAREFETISHISTS, (curated by James Merrigan) Garter Lane Gallery, Waterford
2021
Picturing People, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
Nothing (but windows) Janie Doherty Locky Morris, CCA, Derry
2020
The Effects Of Crossing & Self-Aggrandization In The Human Kingdom, Mario Mauroner Gallery, Vienna
Bend in the River (with dance artist Janie Doherty) on-line video work
Be Seeing You, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Mannheim, Germany
2019
Troubles Art, Nerve Visual, Derry (NMNI)
A Trip Here, A Trip There (with Paola Bernardelli), Sefton Park Palm House, Liverpool
2018
EVA International, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland
2017
So It Is, Mattress Factory Art Museum, Pittsburgh, PA. USA
2014/15
Invisible Violence, Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Serbia. Artium, Basque Museum- Centre for Contemporary Art, Vitoria, Spain, Salzberger Kunstverein, Austria
Be my guest: Glumba Skzx, Ex Elettrofonica, Rome, Italy
Vanishing Futures, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
2014
Art of The Troubles, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
The Faraway Nearby, FE Mc Williams Gallery, Banbridge.
Re-Framing the Domestic in Irish Art, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, Ireland
2013
Tomorrows Almost Over, Void, Derry
2012
All Humans Do, White Box, Broome St, New York City
All Humans Do, The Model, Sligo, Ireland
Are We There Yet, Glenties, The Warehouse, Donegal, Ireland
You Are Now Entering, Centre for Contemporary Art. Derry-Londonderry
What became of the people we used to be? Tulca Festival, Galway, Ireland
2011
The Walls That Divide Us, Apexart, Church Street, NYC,
2009
Fantopia. A state of impossible perfection. Or, how to live with perfect people (and not kill them)
Mother’s tankstation, Dublin,
2008
A Shout in the Street, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast.
2007
Things we may have missed, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast,
2006
The Disembodied Eye, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
Dogs Have No Religion, Czech Museum of Fine Arts, Prague (toured to Tralee, Ireland)
2005
The Trouble with Talkies, ADI Space, London
2003
B-Lomo (artists engage with Leopold Bloom) Context Gallery, Derry
2002–3
Something Else: Contemporary Art From Ireland, Turku Art Museum; Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki; Oulu City Art Museum; Joensuu Art Museum
2001
Small Steps, Context Gallery, Derry; Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin
Bloody Sunday (with Willie Doherty and Philip Napier), Orchard Gallery, Derry
2000
In Search of Experience – Reconsidering the Readymade, Green on Red Gallery, Dublin
Small Steps, The Ellipse Art Centre, Washington
One of those Days, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Germany
1998
Culture in Conflict, The Puffin Room, New York
1996
L’Imaginaire Irlandais, L’École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts, Paris
1994
Dirty, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
Schnittstellen, Heidelberger Kunstverein, Germany
1992
In-between, XLV Bienalle Venezia (part of an artwork for the Turkish Pavilion – Adam Yilmaz/Jarg Geismer)
1991
Kunst Europa, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Germany
Strongholds, Tate Gallery, Liverpool
1990
British Art Show, McLelland Galleries, Glasgow; Leeds City Art Gallery; Hayward Gallery, London
New North, Tate Gallery, Liverpool; Laing Gallery, Newcastle; Third Eye Centre, Glasgow; Orchard Gallery, Derry, Mappin Gallery, Sheffield
1988
GPA Awards for Emerging Artists, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin
Sculpture Open ’88, City Centre, Dublin
1987
Directions Out, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin
State of the Nation, Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry
1986
Place as Object, Art and Research Exchange, Belfast
Political Life, Cornerhouse, Manchester
1984
New Art From Manchester, Salford Art Gallery
Object Matters, Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool
Irish Exhibition of Living Art, Guinness Hop Store, Dublin
AWARDS
2022
The Golden Fleece Award, Winner
2020
SIAP Award, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
2016
O’Malley Award for Art, Irish American Cultural Institute
2005
Visual Arts Award, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
2003
Major Individual Artist Award, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
2001
Art for Architecture Award, RSA, London
1994
Visual Arts Award, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
1992
Visual Arts Award, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
1990
Visual Arts Award, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
1989
GPA Award for emerging artists
1988
Visual Arts Awards, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
ARTICLES /REVIEWS (Selection)
2023
Re_sett_ing_s, Jaki Irvine and Locky Morris by John Graham, VAI, Visual Artists Ireland. Jan/Feb
2020
Four decades of Irish Sculpture, In their Place (1987) Locky Morris, Declan Sheehan, Visual Artists' News Sheet, Special Issue March /April
2018
Beyond Titles, Rachel Donnelly, Totally Dublin, April
2017
Stop Lookin’ at Photographs, Locky Morris, Dennis Mc Nulty, Circa Online
Stop Lookin’ at Photographs, Locky Morris, Iain Griffin, Visual Artists' News Sheet
Between Image and Object, Locky Morris, Declan Long, Source Magazine
2010
From Day One, Jane Humphries, Circa Online review
This Then, Locky Morris. Miguel Amado, Artforum, Dec
This Then, Locky Morris, Gail Prentice, Art Monthly Oct. 2010
This Then, Locky Morris, Robert Clark, The Guardian, Saturday 28th August
Wasafiri, International Contemporary Writing, Issue No. 62, Summer
2000
Sightlines, Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post, 26 May .
The Work of a Dog, Locky Morris, Declan Sheehan, Frieze, 54, Sept/Oct
One of those Days, Mannheimer Morgen, Germany 23 September
1999
In Search of Experience, The Sculpture Society of Ireland, March/April
1996
Art from the Edge, Part 1I Judith Higgins, Art In America
Libérés des tabous, les plasticiens irlandais explorent le devenir de leur île, Geneviève Breerette, Le Monde, 4 June
1994
Sculptors get their hands dirty, Robert Clark, The Guardian, 25 January
Comm II, Locky Morris, Elaine Hogg, Orchard Gallery, Derry, Circa, 68, Summer
Comm II, Locky Morris, Colin Darke, Orchard Gallery, Derry, Frieze, 18 September
1991
A New Generation Maps Out The Troubles, Tom Lubbock, The Independent on Sunday, March
A drop of the Irish, Sarah Craddock, ‘’, The Guardian, 20 February
Eminent Formorians: Irish Art in Liverpool, Sean Cubbitt, Circa
1990
Woolly or Wily‘?’, Richard Cork, The Listener, 5 July
Signposts across the great divide, Tom Lubbock, The Independent on Sunday, 27 June
1987
Directions Out, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin, John Roberts, Artscribe, Sept/Oct
1986
In Their Place: Anthony Gormley/Locky Morris: City Walls, Derry, Deirdre O'Connell, Circa, July/August
Political Life: Cornerhouse, Manchester, John Roberts, Artscribe,Nov/Dec
CATALOGUES/PUBLICATIONS (Selection)
Upcoming
Routledge Companion to Irish Art, edited by Fionna Barber & Fintan Cullen
Last Chance For A Dark Wash, Locky Morris (text by Jaki Irvine) Designed by Oonagh Young. Published by Regional Cultural Centre, Donegal
2024
Abridged 0 - 1816, Verbal Arts Centre, Derry
2023
Breaking the Narrative, Broughton and Birnie, Catalogue, London
Coast to Coast, Turning time into Space, Locky Morris, edited by Michael Smyth, Frank Delaney
2022
Irish Art 1920-2020 Perspectives on change, Catherine Marshall and Yvonne Scott, Editors. Royal Irish Academy, Trinity College Dublin and Fred Krehbiel
WE ARE FETISHISTS, Screen printed Zine, Small night projects, James Merrigan
Locky Morris / Block Basics, Screen printed Zine, Small night projects, James Merrigan
2021
Picturing People, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Catalogue
2020
Be Seeing You, Mannheimer Kunsverein, Germany, Catalogue (text Martin Stather)
2019
Once a day every day all day long, Locky Morris, FE Mc William Gallery, Catalogue (text Anne Tallentire, David Haughey)
SIC Intertrashional #5 ROOT, Bea McMahon
2018
38th Eva International, Ireland’s Bienalle, Limerick Ireland, Catalogue
Alt. Abridged Magazine, Verbal Arts Centre, Derry (Covers and all art, Locky Morris)
2016
Stop Lookin’ at Photographs! Catalogue (text Chris Fite-Wassilak)
Two Birds One Stone, Farmleigh House, Dublin. OPW. Catalogue (text Janet Mullarney)
Invisible Violence, Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade,/Artium, Basque Museum - Centre for Contemporary Art, Spain. Salzburger Kunstverein. Catalogue (multiple texts including Declan Long)
2015
Vanishing Futures, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast. Catalogue (text Peter Richards)
2014
Art and Architecture of Ireland, Volume 3 : Sculptors 1600 – 2000. The Royal Irish Academy and Yale University Press
Old Borders, New Technologies, Re-Framing Film and Visual Culture in Contemporary Northern Ireland, by Paula Blair. Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
The Faraway Nearby, Catalogue, FE McWilliams Gallery, Banbridge. Catalogue (text Slavka Sverakova)
2013
A Week in Goals, Locky Morris. Catalogue (text Declan Sheehan)
Art In Ireland since 1910 by Fionna Barber, Reaktion Books
2010
Mother’s Annual, Mother's Tankstation, Dublin (text Luke Clancy)
Conspiracy Dwellings: Surveillance in Contemporary Art, Outi Remes and Pam Skelton, Cambridge Scholar Publishing
This Then, Locky Morris, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast, RegionalCultural Centre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal (texts John M. Cunningham, Chris Clarke)
2008
A Shout in the Street: Collective Histories of Northern Irish Art, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (text Declan Mc Gonagle)
Harrowing of the Heart, The poetry of Bloody Sunday, Edited by Julieann Campbell & Tom Herron, Guildhall Press
2007
Art and the Disembodied Eye: Collective Histories of Northern Irish Art, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (text Liam Kelly)
2006
Dogs Have No Religion, Czech Museum Of Fine Arts (Locky Morris: Lucky) Catalogue (text Declan Sheehan )
Two Minds, Artists and Architects in collaboration, Jes Fernie (ed.) Black Dog Publishing Ltd, London
2005
Notes on ‘Itch’, by Locky Morris Anne Tallentire, 1+1+1, Issue 2, Double Agents, London
2003
Home Entertainment, Locky Morris, Orchard Gallery, Derry. Catalogue (unpublished) (texts Padraig Timoney, Conor Mc Feely)
2002
Something Else: Contemporary Art from Ireland, Turku Art Museum, Finland. Catalogue
2001
Dispersal Anne Tallentire/John Seth, Orchard Gallery. Catalogue (CD insert - collaborative sound work Locky Morris/ Conor Mc Feely)
2000
One of Those Days, exh. cat., Mannheimer Kunstverein, Germany
The Work of a Dog, Context Gallery, Derry (text Conor Mc Feely, Declan Sheehan, Locky Morris)
Practise, Practice, In Context, Context Gallery, Derry (interview)
Small Steps, Kaleidoscope. Catalogue (text Caoimhín Mac Giolla Leith)
1997
Modern Irish Art, Dorothy Walker, Lilliput Press, Dublin
Popular Mechanics, Conor Mc Feely, Context Gallery, Derry. Catalogue (text/poem Locky Morris)
1996
L'imaginaire Irlandais, L’École supérieure des beaux-arts, Paris . Catalogue (texts Dorothy Walker, Liam Kelly, Luke Gibbons, Caoimhín Mac Giolla Leith)
Thinking Long: Contemporary Art in the North of Ireland, Liam Kelly, Gandon Editions
1994
Hygiene, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham . Catalogue
1994
Comm, Orchard Gallery, Derry. Catalogue/ artist's book (text Angela Kingston)
1994
Schnittstellen, Heidelberger Kunstverein, Germany . Catalogue (multiple texts including Martin Stather)
1994
The City as Art: Interrogating the Polis, Liam Kelly (ed) A. I. C. A.
1993
Kunst Europa, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Germany. Catalogue (multiple texts)
1993
Irrland Ireland Irland, Jurgen Schneider, Sonnerband der edition Druckhaus 11
1992
Strongholds, Tate Gallery, Liverpool . Catalogue (text Penelope Curtis)
1990
British Art Show, Hayward Gallery, London . Catalogue (texts including Andrew Nairne)
1990
New North, Tate Gallery, Liverpool . Catalogue (texts Lewis Biggs, Declan Mc Gonagle)
1988
GPA Awards for Emerging Artists, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin . Catalogue
1997
Directions Out, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin. Catalogue (text Brian Mc Avera)
Locky Morris ©