Nicole Manning is a Dublin based artist working predominantly through the medium of paint. Manning is a recent graduate of NCAD (2024) in which she received her Joint Hons BA in Fine Art Painting & Education. Inspired by the mind-body connection & the interplay between the physical and psychological, her work explores the external expression of inner turmoil within the human experience. Rooted in her experience of living with chronic stomach pain over the last 8 years as a result of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Manning’s recent work focuses on how trauma manifests within the body.
Using gestural, twisting, brushwork to mirror the visual of the intestines, she explores how symbolic & archetypal imagery can narrate the complex experience of living with an invisible illness. Victorian bed frames, curled bodies & animals act as metaphor & alter-ego within her paintings. Her work aims to translate internal pain into visible form.
Following her degree show “To continue to live even when you don’t have the Stomach for it” (2024), she was awarded a year-long studio residency at the Clancy Quay Studios (2024 - 2025) in Island Bridge, Dublin, alongside a place on the ‘Superprojects’ Professional Development & Mentorship Programme for recent graduates. In August 2025, she was awarded the ‘Fingal | Draíocht Studio Residency Award,’ which led to a funded mentorship with Sharon Murphy. Later in 2025, she will begin a residency at ‘RAMA’ in rural Portugal, just outside of Lisbon, running from October to December.
Manning’s work is frequently exhibited, including recent shows such as “Mercado” (July, 2025) in TØN Gallery, and “Peering into the Songbird’s Organ” (June, 2025) in Gallery X. As well as self curating group exhibitions, such as “Go Around, Go “, “ “,” (July 2025), “Silver Apples of the Moon, Golden Apples of the Sun” (Feb, 2025), and “Sweet Splinters” (Nov, 2024). During her time in college, Manning also founded the collective "Drella’s Basement", through which she organised self-curated exhibitions that provided a platform for art students and recent graduates.
