Conor O’Brien is a Dublin-based artist and designer working across handcraft, material culture, writing, and harp performance. O’Brien’s work through classical and Irish harp performance directly influences his material processes, binding the various elements of his physical practice into a broader cultural commentary which navigates the space between artist, designer and craftsperson.
At just 20, O’Brien commenced his practice in 2021 while studying Fashion Design BA at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, and started to gain an audience before graduating with a First Class Honors in 2023.
O’Brien established the first in his conceptual works in 2025 with the launch of Phantom Thread, a collection of wearables crafted from fabric remnants and deadstock materials, presented moving on the body in space at the Royal Society of Antiquaries on Merrion Square in Dublin.
Through a contemporary approach to traditional hand-knitting techniques, woven fabric experimentation and a strict engagement with natural fibres, O’Brien’s practice navigates the space between sculpture, wearable, object and visual.