Everything You Need to Know About Artist Morgan O'Hara

Morgan O'Hara; the Artist

Morgan O’Hara is a familiar name in the world of creative arts. She has moved through the ranks and solidified herself as one of the greatest conceptual artists of her time. And it’s so easy to see why.

Early days

Born in 1941 in Los Angeles, she was raised in post-war Japan before returning to the US to obtain her Master’s Degree in Arts from the prestigious California State University. She had her very first solo exhibition in 1978 at the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland. After that, she started featuring in international performance art festivals and did her first site-specific wall drawings at the De Fabriek in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in the late 80s.

From life, real-time

O’Hara’s works intricately explore the contextualized practices of drawing as human behavior. She draws directly from life and in real-time, building on the historical continuum of the field.

This practice requires a deeper level of connection, observation, patience, and presence, developing a LIVE TRANSMISSION art from it. Her LIVE TRANSMISSION artworks are usually projected to a large wall, taking advantage of space to determine position and size.

These drawings go beyond the boundaries of abstract and figurative drawings. O’Hara delicately combines traces of classic draws with the spontaneity of the present into exquisite art made from razor-sharp pencils with both hands.

Featured around the world

Her works are featured in major exhibitions and collections around the world. Some include the Macau Museum of Art, China; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; The British Museum; National Gallery, Washington, DC, and many more.

Throughout her career, she has been a recipient of numerous grants and fellowships from reputable organizations worldwide.