About:

Niamh Kearns is a multi-disciplinary artist and cultural mediator from and based in the border town of Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh. Working primarily through video and performance, her artistic practice is rooted in extensive research, intertwining history, archive, and contemporary visual culture. Her work aims to navigate the complexities of accepted narratives through a highly personal and often humorous lens. 

She strives to tackle challenging themes that evoke discomfort and ignite conversation, in ways that don’t feel so heavy. Her work often deals with a range of difficult topics, including generational trauma and the Troubles in Northern Ireland, disappointing negative attitudes towards immigration in Ireland and the impact of the internet porn industry on our everyday lives. Interview, storytelling, documentary, mockumentary- the choice of a medium is a key aspect in making difficult conversations more digestible, more accessible and more engaging.

Central to her artistic process is a commitment to meticulous research, which serves as the foundation for the work. Often the medium is decided after synthesizing historical accounts, personal narratives, and contemporary commentary on a topic. Topics are chosen because of highly personal connections, sometimes more immediately obvious, sometimes less. 

There are threads that carry through each work, even if each outcome appears different. The exploration of language; be it spoken, written, examined in context, taken out of context, recorded, translated, mistranslated, is key and central to every work. The final outcome often attempts not to take itself too seriously; to approach some of the heaviness of the world today with a balance of criticism and humour. 

Niamh Kearns’s work has been exhibited in England at Manchester Art Fair 2022, as part of All In Bad Taste, (2022) at Air Gallery, Altrincham and as part of His/Her/Their Stories 2023 at Core.706 Gallery, Manchester School of Art.  

More recently, 'October (1972)' opened Clones Film Festival 2023, with a live introduction from the artist. 

In 2024, the artist has represented Ireland at the International Youth Media Summit in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Additionally, she trained in traditional storytelling, performing at different events around Cavan, Monaghan and Fermanagh as part of the 'BorderTalk' project.