Sculptor Denis O’Connor was born in Auckland and studied at Wellington Polytechnic School of Design, and the University of Otago. His works in stone and found materials are often accompanied with explanatory texts. Since 1969 to 2018 he has held 16 solo shows at cities throughout New Zealand and participated in numerous group exhibitions in the same period. His awards include Studio Residencies in Berkeley California and Tokoname Japan in 1978 and 1982, the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, Otago University in 1985, Moet & Chandon Art Fellowship, Epernay, France in 1996 and was the inaugural recipient of the Rathcoola Fellowship, Cork, Ireland in 2005.
The earliest auction listing we have for Denis O'Connor is in 1994 and in total 45 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 25 (56%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $40,595 for The Blindness of History in My Eyes / the Blindness Of History In My Hands / The Blindness Of History In My Name sold by Art+Object in November 2021. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Denis O'Connor are held by the Auckland Art Gallery, National Gallery of Australia and a further four major public national galleries (see list below).
Denis O'Connor is listed in the following standard biographical references:
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