Oran Curran Coleman
The places that hold him
My work largely revolves around the grief I carry for my late father Patrick or better known from his nickname "Happy", who was killed in a stabbing in 2007. His sudden loss and way in which he passed had a profound impact on me, and I've struggled with grief and the idea of his memory fading over time. As the years pass, my memories—his face, his voice—become less clear. What has helped me cope with this feeling is finding new ways to reconnect with my father, particularly through nature and the world around me. The significance of materials has become a central part of my practice. For example, I used the grass from his grave, my family garden and several other places to create these anthotype prints. By incorporating the grass, it feels as though a piece of him is present within these prints. One of the most beautiful aspects of anthotypes is that they gradually fade over time, much like my own memories I have with my father. I've come to understand that it's important not to obsess over what I will eventually forget, but rather to cherish the memories I hold now. Although his physical body is no longer here, he still lives on in the grass and flowers that grow from his grave, in my mother who took on both parental roles and in my sister and I's face. I find comfort in looking for my father in the beauty of everyday life, and in that, I know he's never really gone.
Nina Achtelik • Lily Christopher • Oran Curran Coleman • Amy McNamara • Svetlana Pavlenko • Jeremiah Thomas Segero • Marlena Walach Szejka •
Bath Spa University
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Brighton
BA (Hons) Photography
Cardiff Metropolitan University
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Chester
BA (Hons) Photography
Crawford College of Art and Design
BA (Hons) Fine Art
University of Cumbria
BA (Hons) Photography
Griffith College Dublin
BA Photographic Media
TU Dublin
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Edinburgh College
BA Professional Photography
Edinburgh Napier University
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Glasgow School of Art
BA (Hons) Fine Art Photography
Glasgow School of Art
BA (Hons) Communication Design
Goldsmiths University of London
BA (Hons) Media and Communications
University of Hertfordshire
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Huddersfield
BA (Hons) Photography
Kingston University London
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Lancashire
BA (Hons) Photography
Leeds Trinity University
BA (Hons) Photography
Limerick School of Art and Design
BA (Hons) Photography and Moving Image
London South Bank University
BA (Hons) Photography
Manchester Metropolitan University
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Greater Manchester
BA (Hons) Photography
Middlesex University
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National College of Art and Design
Certificate in Photography and Digital Imaging
Pearse College of Further Education
QQI Level 6 Photography
Arts University Plymouth
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Portsmouth
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Salford
BA (Hons) Photography
Sheffield Hallam University
BA (Hons) Photography
University of Suffolk
BA (Hons) Photography
Ulster University
BA (Hons) Photography with Video
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
BA (Hons) Photography in the Arts
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
BA (Hons) Documentary Photography and Visual Activism