Biography

Michael Dwan is a London-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice engages with themes of mortality, memory, belonging and time, reconciling the autobiographical with the collective through work grounded in photography. Whilst the image remains central, he investigates the medium’s potential beyond the representational, distinguishing between ‘reality’ as the observable world and ‘real’ as a deeper, subjective truth.

A period of unlearning at the RCA marked the beginning of a shift towards abstraction, allegory, and performance. Seeking to move beyond the traditional limits of the photographic apparatus, he began working across media. These include photogrammetry, printmaking, moving image, painting, and sculptural form: each is employed to extend symbolic resonance and material presence.

Michael is currently developing work that expands his exploration of ritual and time to include ecological themes, considering the Irish temperate rainforests and their role as living archives of memory, biodiversity, and climate fragility. These sacral environments, desperately remnant in the face of collapse yet central to rewilding efforts, are shaping new directions in his practice.

From Ireland, Michael has spent much of his life abroad, primarily in the United States and Britain, where he built a creative career in brand advertising before returning to fine art practice. He holds an MA from the Royal College of Art and an MBA from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership.

Curriculum Vitae

2025 - Travers Smith exhibition 2025-2026, London.

2025 - Another Shore exhibition, Artat111 Contemporary Gallery, Highbury, London.

2025 - Special Collections (artist publication), Biblioteka Art Reference Library, London.

2025 - RCA Arts and Humanities public exhibition, London.

2024 - RCA Open Studio shows. White City and Battersea, London.

2024 - Cosán film selected by BBC for Artist Showcase ‘Big Screen’ event at Television Centre, London.

2023 - Postgraduate studies at Royal College of Art (RCA), London.

2022 and prior - commercial career, holding creative roles in media and advertising arena.

Award

Travers Smith Art Programme 2025-2026

Feature

Source.ie selected works showcased in Graduate Photography Online 2025