Denis O'Connor
Denis O'Connor (born 1947) is a New Zealand ceramicist, sculptor and writer who has exhibited both in New Zealand and internationally.
Denis O'Connor
Public domain
- Born
- 1947 · Auckland.
- Nationality
- New Zealand
- Occupation
- painter · sculptor · ceramicist
- Honours
- Frances Hodgkins Fellowship
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Denis O'Connor (born 1947) is a New Zealand ceramicist, sculptor and writer who has exhibited both in New Zealand and internationally.
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wikidata · Q27924057
In this article
Education
Education
O'Connor studied at the Wellington Polytechnic School of Design and the University of Otago.
Career
Career
O'Connor's early work was made using white porcelain and the iron-rich clay which he found near his studio on Waiheke Island. In 1985 he was awarded the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship at Otago University, and during his tenure he switched to using limestone. More recently he has incorporated found objects and has started to use black slate, which has introduced a more minimalist aesthetic.
Residencies
Residencies
He has held international residencies including: • Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, Otago University (1985) • Moet and Chandon Fellowship, Champagne, France (1996) • Rathcoola Fellowship, Cork, Ireland (2005) • Blumhardt Foundation Residency in Gulgong, New South Wales, Australia (2016), (2017–18)
Identity
Identity
Denis O'Connor is recorded as painter, sculptor and ceramicist.
Ahead of the Curve; marble sculpture Rudderstone by Dennis O'Connor, 1997.
Michael Coghlan from Adelaide, Australia · Ahead of the Curve
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1947
Denis O'Connor born at Auckland.
Publications
O'Connor has produced several written works to accompany his major exhibitions: • Songs of the gulf 1984 • The Gorse King 1992 • Big aitche little aitche 2000 • What the roof dreamt 2007
Public commissions and collections
• Illustration — Raupō Rap (2005) on the Auckland waterfront O'Connor has had many prestigious commissions, and his works are held in a large number of public collections including: • Aotea Centre, Auckland • Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki • Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku • Auckland Regional Authority • Australia Council for the Arts, Sydney • City Gallery, Wellington • Connells Bay Sculpture Park • Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt • Dunedin Public Art Gallery • Frances Hodgkins Fellowship Collection, University of Otago, Dunedin • Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth • Hocken Library, University of Otago, Dunedin • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington • Ministry of Justice, High Court, Auckland • Ministry of Justice, High Court, Wellington • Moët et Chandon, Épernay, France • Montana Wines Ltd, New Zealand • Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa • National Bank, Auckland • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne • National Maritime Museum, Auckland • North Harbour Chapel, Albany, Auckland • Rijksmuseum Kroller-Muller, Netherlands * • Illustration — Rudderstone, Wellington Botanic Garden Robert McDougall Art Gallery, Christchurch • Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh • Sky City Casino, Auckland • University of Auckland • Viaduct Basin, Auckland • Waikato Museum of Art and History, Hamilton • Wairarapa Arts Foundation, Masterton • Wellington City Council • Wellington Sculpture Trust, Wellington Botanic Garden
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q27924057: Denis O'ConnorWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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