Liverpool artist Danny O'Connor is preparing to launch a new exhibition in London, swapping Merseyside for the capital. Known for his bold, colourful and eccentric artwork, O'Connor has created striking murals across Liverpool's streets.
The 44-year-old is days away from unveiling his latest exhibition, Awakened Dreams, at London's Nobu Hotel on Portman Square. Presented in collaboration with Eclectic Gallery, the event marks a major milestone in his career.
From Liverpool streets to London gallery
O'Connor's work is familiar to many in Liverpool, including a now-lost mural of Amy Winehouse on Victoria Street and a black-and-white tribute to the Gallagher brothers on Cumberland Street, created after last year's Oasis mania. Despite his tenure, he says the exhibition feels unbelievable.
He told the ECHO: "As someone from Liverpool, having a solo exhibition in this location means a lot to me. I've been working with Eclectic Gallery for around five or six years, and over the last couple they've started putting on these events to help get the work out to a wider audience. This is looking like it's going to be one of the biggest exhibitions they've done so far."
Freedom of expression
The Awakened Dreams exhibition will feature five brand-new pieces, each corresponding to a line from a short poem O'Connor wrote. The theme is freedom of expression. He explained: "The overall theme of the collection is freedom. I wanted to represent freedom of expression, so I wrote a short poem made up of five lines, with each line corresponding to one of the five new paintings. Each artwork's title is taken from a line of the poem, so they're all connected."
O'Connor hopes viewers will engage deeply with the work: "I want people to have an emotional connection with the work. I don't want it to be something that's just fleeting. There are lots of intricacies in each piece that I'd like people to stand and look at for a while. One of the comments I hear quite often is that the more time people spend with the work, the more they notice."
Nerves and excitement
Despite his renown, O'Connor feels anxious about the opening. He said: "It's quite nerve-racking, but it's also exciting. Working in the studio is quite a solitary pursuit, so it's nice to have the opportunity to talk to people about the work. Showing it to an audience is both nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time. I'm looking forward to heading down for the preview events and seeing people's reactions."
The evening will include a live Q&A and a live painting demonstration. Awakened Dreams will be on display from August 11 until 23. Tickets are available online.
