John Beattie is a visual artist whose practice critically engages with historical and cultural narratives. Working across a range of media – including drawing, still image, and moving image – his work is characterized by a heightened sense of performativity, spatial construction, and visual choreography. Beattie often constructs meticulously orchestrated scenes that interrogate temporal themes – both as a conceptual framework and as a process integral to the making of the work itself.  His work prompts viewers to reflect on issues of time, history, and representation.

Examples of his most recent work are: Shadowing the Archives, in collaboration with the National Archives of Ireland, funded by the Department of the Arts, Dublin Castle, 2023; Reconstructing Mondrian, solo museum exhibition at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin, 2023; and An Artist, The Studio, and all the rest… Part 1 and Part 2, solo exhibition at the RHA, Dublin, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Beattie has been awarded a number of residencies to date, including: The National Archives of Ireland for the State Decade of Centenaries Programme 2021-2023; the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, 2020; the apexart Fellowship, New York, 2015; IMMA, Dublin, 2011; Temple Bar Gallery & Studio, Dublin, 2010; the RHA, Dublin, 2010; and Fire Station Artists’ Studios, Dublin, 2006- 2009. His practice has been supported and acknowledged through awards and bursaries such as The Arts Council Travel & Training Bursary, The Arts Council Projects Awards, The Arts Council Visual Artist Bursary’s, The Donegal County Council Artist Bursary’s, an Open EV+A Award, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Hennessy Portrait Prize finalist at the National Gallery of Ireland, and received the Arts Humanities Research Board grant in 2003-2005.

Beattie’s work is in public and private collections, including: The Hugh Lane Gallery Collection, The Office of Public Works, and The Arts Council of Ireland Collection.