BIOGRAPHY

Órla Bates is a visual artist living and working in County Wexford. Her current practice has a particular focus on using drawing as a means of thinking, seeing and inventing. Through the act of drawing the work pursues a reinvented place that moves between states of representation and abstraction.

Selected group exhibitions include Cairde Visual, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo Arts Festival (2022), Cotyledon, LA (2022), Winter Open 21, The Courthouse Gallery (2021), Peripheries MEET, Peripheries Space, Gorey School of Art, From the Mountain, Wexford Arts Centre and The Arts Council collection
(2019), Halftone, The Library Project, Dublin, Cairde Visual, The Model, Sligo, and RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin Bates received The Arts Council Professional Development award in 2021.

In 2016 and 2012 she was awarded the Artlinks Bursary Award. She is also a recipient of the Tyrone Guthrie Residency Award from Wexford County Council.

Artists residencies include Lodestar School of Art, Glenstal Abbey, Limerick (2022, 2021), Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig, Newbliss, Co. Monaghan, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo, Living Arts Project, Wexford County Council and Wexford Arts Centre.

As well as being an artist Orla, also works as an art educator and facilitator.