My passion is photography and the impact of gripping imagery. My photographic journey began with film cameras and the world of the darkroom. The peace, solitude and the aroma of chemicals became a rarity after the dawn of the digital age, yet I hark back to my beginnings with fond memories.
Having worked as a professional photographer for a number of years after achieving my degree from DIT, Kevin Street, I gravitated towards publishing where I still work today.
Together with my day job I have maintained my love of photography and continue to trawl the highways and byways of Ireland in search of striking images for the purposes of documentation, education and exhibition. Some of these photographs have graced the covers of books and been the inspiration for other artists and wordsmiths. I count these successes highly.
I primarily focused (no pun intended) my camera on abandoned buildings in Ireland and have travelled around the country documenting the demise of some of the most wonderful places, all steeped in history both local and national. There are many stories that could be told from these old homes, schools, convents, churches, workhouses and others. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to hear a tale that I can share to my followers on my Forsaken Ireland Facebook page.
From 2019 I turned my lens to other projects including a documentary series about Patsy Boylan, an avid Elvis Presley fan and collector as well as a collaborative publication with author Martin Towey entitled An Act of Madness.
I have exhibited widely in group shows and have also had a number of acclaimed solo exhibitions: Come to the Fair (2007), Market Day Kells (2012); Stories that Remain Untold (2015); An Essence of Presence (2017/18); Welcome to Graceland (2019/20) and An Act of Madness (2019/20).
I have received arts bursaries from both Meath and Cavan County Councils and my work is part of both of their collections and in private collections worldwide.
I am now undertaking a new journey and begin a Masters of Fine Art in Photography at Belfast School of Art in September 2021 which I'm looking forward to immensely. If you'd like to support my GoFundMe drive to raise funds for the Masters' fees I'd be incredibly grateful.
Read an interview between myself and deputy editor Damian McCarney in the Anglo Celt newspaper.
Testimonials
"Not many artists chose to send in photographic work. That made Suella Holland’s disturbing mix of nostalgia and threat, all the more welcome, especially as they are delivered with such clarity and punch. In a world of lockdowns her images of a decaying hallway, a massive lock and a pair of hands juxtaposed with a closed door are searing."
— Catherine Marshall,
Curator, Surveyor 2020,
Solstice Arts Centre
Curator, Surveyor 2020,
Solstice Arts Centre
"What appeals to me about this work is its aesthetic — it manages simultaneously to document and to be beautiful, and that kind of economy is very appealing. This is an art that leaves you to your own devices and does not instruct. You go away wondering if this is the strangest thing you've ever seen or the most ordinary, and ultimately you go away from these images delighted, and amazed again at the wonder of it all."
— Tom French,
re Welcome to Graceland
published in Anglo Celt (2020)
re Welcome to Graceland
published in Anglo Celt (2020)
