Mary St Leger is an Irish visual artist whose work explores themes of gender, difference, and isolation. Her paintings draw deeply on experience and memory, drawn from an eccentric childhood on the periphery of a fishing village in rural Ireland. As part of a matriarchal, single-woman, Anglican family of blow-ins, she often felt caught between worlds—a foot in two camps but never belonging to either. This sense of otherness, along with the legacy of strong and independent women in her family, continues to profoundly influence and dominate her art practice, serving as a means of negotiating inherited and constructed identities.
Mary graduated with a B.A. in Fine Art from the Limerick School of Art and Design (1997), followed by a Master’s in Fine Art from the University of Central England (1998) and a Master’s in Women’s Studies from the University of Limerick (2002).
She has exhibited widely in Ireland, London, and across Europe. Her paintings are held in numerous private collections across Ireland, the UK, Canada and Australia.
For over sixteen years, Mary worked as an art facilitator with the Education and Training Board (ETB) in the mental health sector. In 2018, to bring art into the community, Mary developed Art for the Heart Doneraile, which has evolved into the annual Doneraile Arts FesT and other annual events such as Culture Night and International Women's Day.
She strongly believes that as humans we need to allow our creative side to be encouraged and supported and given the space to flourish. Creativity can act as a conduit for greater self-esteem, communication and emotional freedom.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 “Within the space” Friars Gate Gallery Kilmallock Co. Limerick
2018 “Transformation” Friars Gate Gallery Kilmallock Co. Limerick
2022 “Women hold up half the sky” Blackwater Gallery Fermoy Co. Cork
2022 Invited Artist, Irish Management Institute Sandyford Dublin 16
2024 “I WILL LOVE THEM DEARLY” Signal Art Centre Bray Co. Wicklow
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018 TRASNA 8 The Courthouse Gallery Parliament St Ennnistymon Co. Clare
2018 GOMA Annual Exhibition Lombard Street Waterford City
2019 “Culture” West End Art Gallery Mallow Co. Cork
2020 “Art in Solitude” A virtual exhibition in response to Covid-19 event Annascaha Gallery
2021 “Curved Horizons” St Peter’s Church North Main Street Cork City
2022 “Secret Garden” Grennan Mill Thomastown Kilkenny Art Festival
2022 Selected Artist for the Chianciano Biennale Chianciano Museum Siena, Italy
2023 “Inception” Westend Art Gallery Mallow Co. Cork
2023 Selected artist for the London Biennale Chelsea Old Town Hall London U.K
2023 “Secret Garden” Grennan Mill Thomastown Kilkenny Art festival
2024 “IMMERSIVE” The Holy Art gallery 21-31 Shackwell London U.K
2024 “SODADE” Two Woman show with Carole Fautrez Redmond The Berkeley Gallery
Thomastown Kilkenny
2024 “MADE BY HANDS” LHQ Gallery Cork County Council
2025 “BLOODROOT” Hamilton Gallery |Embassy of Ireland Pulchri Studio The Hague
2025 “PALLETTE TO PALETE” The Old Bank Dungarvan
2025 “Chelsea Art Society Summer Show” Old Town Hall London
2025 An Chead Tine second annual exhibition Kilkenny
2025 “ For the Birds” Two woman show with Brid Moynihan Westend Art Gallery Mallow
Co.Cork
2026 “Human Head and Face” curated by Charles Harper. Walters Georges Street Dun
Laoghaire
2026 “CARRYING THE SONGS” Hamilton Gallery/Embassy of Ireland Pulchri Studio The
Hague
2026 Selected Artist Chianciano Biennale Chianciano Museum Sienna Italy
BURSARY
2021 Recipient of Cork Co. Council sponsored residency at Ballinglen Art Centre Ballycastle
Co. Mayo
MEMBERSHIP
Visual Artists Ireland Professional Member
Visual Artists Association Professional Member