ABOUT
WHO IS ONNIE?
Onnie O’Leary has been tattooing since 2011 after achieving a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Sydney College of the Arts in 2008. Onnie completed her tattoo apprenticeship in 2013 at Motorink Tattoo, Amsterdam and has barely stopped travelling since, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the USA and New Zealand, among others.
While her practice encompasses print making, drawing, design and illustration, her focus is on graphic and brightly coloured pin up style tattoos, using geometric shapes to frame her work and eye-catching colour fades with a focus on traditional tattoo techniques to make these designs stand the test of time. Inspired by the erotic comic book styles of European artists in the ‘70s and ‘80s she creates unique tattoos for her clients both local and international. Onnie has been working at TLD Tattoo since 2017 and hopes to for many years to come.
Onnie O’Leary has been tattooing since 2011 after achieving a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Sydney College of the Arts in 2008. Onnie completed her tattoo apprenticeship in 2013 at Motorink Tattoo, Amsterdam and has barely stopped travelling since, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the USA and New Zealand, among others.
While her practice encompasses print making, drawing, design and illustration, her focus is on graphic and brightly coloured pin up style tattoos, using geometric shapes to frame her work and eye-catching colour fades with a focus on traditional tattoo techniques to make these designs stand the test of time. Inspired by the erotic comic book styles of European artists in the ‘70s and ‘80s she creates unique tattoos for her clients both local and international. Onnie has been working at TLD Tattoo since 2017 and hopes to for many years to come.
CURRICULUM VITAE – ONNIE O’LEARY (1986)
EDUCATION:
o Diploma of Fine Art – Hunter Street Arts Campus, TAFE NSW. February 2008 — December 2009
o Bachelor of Fine Art – Sydney College of the Arts, USYD. March 2005 – December 2007
SELECTED COMMISSIONS:
o Nat's What I Reckon: Death to Jar Sauce -- book illustration, July 2021
o Built To Spill -- label design, July 2021
o Idle Eyes, Vol. II. Curated by Tanner Ramsey and Kirsten Aten, Self pub. 2015
o Tribal Tattoo Fanzine, curated by Patrick Kitzel, Self pub. 2015
o NeoTradicional: Pinturas Y Dibujos-Flashes-Bocetos, Vol. II, curated by Daniel Martino, Pub, Arte Tattoo Books 2016
o The Devil’s Reign II: Psychedelic Blasphemy, curated by Peter H Gilmour. Pub, Howl Books 2016
o The Devil’s Reign III: Kaiju, curated by Peter H Gilmour. Pub, Howl Books 2017
o Idle Eyes, Vol III. Curated by Tanner Ramsey. Self pub. 2017
o The Devil’s Reign IV: All Them Witches, curated by Peter H Gilmour. Pub, Howl Books 2018
o OmniOmega — jewellery design, March 2018
o Nat’s What I Reckon: Uncook Yourself — book illustration, June 2020
o Hawt Sauce — label design, August 2020
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
o SUPER NORMAL: ONNIE O'LEARY -- November 2021, Raking Light Projects Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
o Two Hands Tattoo Time — Group show, November 2017-2020, Studio One Toi Tu, Auckland, New Zealand
o 18+ — Group show, February 2018. Respec Gallery, Austin, Texas, USA
o ThINK — Group show, Jan-Feb 2018. Firehouse Art Center, Longmont, Colorado, USA
o Nocturnal Emissions — combined show with Greg Dyer (TacoMonster), November 2017. Parione9, Rome, Italy
o Forever — Group show, November 2017. Studio One Toi Tu, Auckland, New Zealand
o Beware the Thing! An exhibition for charity — Group show, Neon Parlour, Melbourne, February 2016
o SCA Annual – BFA graduation exhibition. December 2007. Sydney College of Arts, Sydney, Australia
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
o Ladies of Tattooing Worldwide: March/April 2022 -- Interview with Debra Yarian
o Tattoos Down Under: Tattoo Candy — Geoff Wilson, Pub. Gereen Pty. Ltd. 2014, Australia
o Tattoos Down Under — Artist Feature, Oct/Nov 2014, Australia
o Tattoo Fest — Artist Feature, March 2015, Poland
o Tattoo Planet — Artist Feature, August 2015, The Netherlands/Belgium
o Inked — Artist Feature, December 2015, Australia/NZ
o Skin Deep — Artist Feature, March 2016, United Kingdom
MEDIA:
o Artists: Onnie O’Leary — Feature Artist, Inked Magazine (online), 2015
o Berichten over Onnie O’Leary — Hanze Mag (online), Author: Tim Kamphuis, 30 June 2015
o Masters of Ink: Australian Tattoo Artist Breaks Down The Stigma Of Female Sexuality — Konbini (online), Author: Ari Marini, 2016
o Artist: Onnie O’Leary — The Manifold Magazine (online), Author: ‘admin’, 2016
o Onnie O’Leary/ Taco Monster - Nocturnal Emissions — Artribune (online), November 3, 2017
o Onnie O’Leary et ses Tatouages Cosmiques et Erotiques — Open Minded, Arts (www.opnminded.com) 2017
o Nocturnal Emissions: la sensuality feminile trasformata in arte — Artwave (online), Author: Raffaella De Pietro, 27 November 2017
o NSWF From NSW: Where Genitalia Meets Pop Art — Tattoodo (online), Author: Servo Jefferson, 2017
o Onnie O’Leary: Tatouages pour Adultes Avertis, Open Minded, Arts, (www.opnminded.com), Author: Jen Ripper, 2018
o Visual Encyclopedia of Kink and Comics: Tattoo Artist Onnie O’Leary — Tattoodo (online), Author: Justine Morrow, July 2018
o Onnie O’Leary/On The Road — Tattoolook (online), 2018
o Reaction to Action: Onnie O’Leary’s Provocative Tattoos — Stacie Mayer (online (www.staciemayer.com), Author: Stacie Mayer, January 13, 2018
CONVENTIONS:
o Dutch Ladies Convention (Netherlands), 2015
o Sydney Tattoo Convention (Australia), 2015-2019
o Rites of Passage: Sydney (Australia), 2016
o Seattle Tattoo Expo (USA), 2016
o New Plymouth Tattoo Convention (New Zealand), 2015-2019
o Montreal Tattoo Convention (Canada), 2017
EDUCATION:
o Diploma of Fine Art – Hunter Street Arts Campus, TAFE NSW. February 2008 — December 2009
o Bachelor of Fine Art – Sydney College of the Arts, USYD. March 2005 – December 2007
SELECTED COMMISSIONS:
o Nat's What I Reckon: Death to Jar Sauce -- book illustration, July 2021
o Built To Spill -- label design, July 2021
o Idle Eyes, Vol. II. Curated by Tanner Ramsey and Kirsten Aten, Self pub. 2015
o Tribal Tattoo Fanzine, curated by Patrick Kitzel, Self pub. 2015
o NeoTradicional: Pinturas Y Dibujos-Flashes-Bocetos, Vol. II, curated by Daniel Martino, Pub, Arte Tattoo Books 2016
o The Devil’s Reign II: Psychedelic Blasphemy, curated by Peter H Gilmour. Pub, Howl Books 2016
o The Devil’s Reign III: Kaiju, curated by Peter H Gilmour. Pub, Howl Books 2017
o Idle Eyes, Vol III. Curated by Tanner Ramsey. Self pub. 2017
o The Devil’s Reign IV: All Them Witches, curated by Peter H Gilmour. Pub, Howl Books 2018
o OmniOmega — jewellery design, March 2018
o Nat’s What I Reckon: Uncook Yourself — book illustration, June 2020
o Hawt Sauce — label design, August 2020
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
o SUPER NORMAL: ONNIE O'LEARY -- November 2021, Raking Light Projects Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
o Two Hands Tattoo Time — Group show, November 2017-2020, Studio One Toi Tu, Auckland, New Zealand
o 18+ — Group show, February 2018. Respec Gallery, Austin, Texas, USA
o ThINK — Group show, Jan-Feb 2018. Firehouse Art Center, Longmont, Colorado, USA
o Nocturnal Emissions — combined show with Greg Dyer (TacoMonster), November 2017. Parione9, Rome, Italy
o Forever — Group show, November 2017. Studio One Toi Tu, Auckland, New Zealand
o Beware the Thing! An exhibition for charity — Group show, Neon Parlour, Melbourne, February 2016
o SCA Annual – BFA graduation exhibition. December 2007. Sydney College of Arts, Sydney, Australia
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
o Ladies of Tattooing Worldwide: March/April 2022 -- Interview with Debra Yarian
o Tattoos Down Under: Tattoo Candy — Geoff Wilson, Pub. Gereen Pty. Ltd. 2014, Australia
o Tattoos Down Under — Artist Feature, Oct/Nov 2014, Australia
o Tattoo Fest — Artist Feature, March 2015, Poland
o Tattoo Planet — Artist Feature, August 2015, The Netherlands/Belgium
o Inked — Artist Feature, December 2015, Australia/NZ
o Skin Deep — Artist Feature, March 2016, United Kingdom
MEDIA:
o Artists: Onnie O’Leary — Feature Artist, Inked Magazine (online), 2015
o Berichten over Onnie O’Leary — Hanze Mag (online), Author: Tim Kamphuis, 30 June 2015
o Masters of Ink: Australian Tattoo Artist Breaks Down The Stigma Of Female Sexuality — Konbini (online), Author: Ari Marini, 2016
o Artist: Onnie O’Leary — The Manifold Magazine (online), Author: ‘admin’, 2016
o Onnie O’Leary/ Taco Monster - Nocturnal Emissions — Artribune (online), November 3, 2017
o Onnie O’Leary et ses Tatouages Cosmiques et Erotiques — Open Minded, Arts (www.opnminded.com) 2017
o Nocturnal Emissions: la sensuality feminile trasformata in arte — Artwave (online), Author: Raffaella De Pietro, 27 November 2017
o NSWF From NSW: Where Genitalia Meets Pop Art — Tattoodo (online), Author: Servo Jefferson, 2017
o Onnie O’Leary: Tatouages pour Adultes Avertis, Open Minded, Arts, (www.opnminded.com), Author: Jen Ripper, 2018
o Visual Encyclopedia of Kink and Comics: Tattoo Artist Onnie O’Leary — Tattoodo (online), Author: Justine Morrow, July 2018
o Onnie O’Leary/On The Road — Tattoolook (online), 2018
o Reaction to Action: Onnie O’Leary’s Provocative Tattoos — Stacie Mayer (online (www.staciemayer.com), Author: Stacie Mayer, January 13, 2018
CONVENTIONS:
o Dutch Ladies Convention (Netherlands), 2015
o Sydney Tattoo Convention (Australia), 2015-2019
o Rites of Passage: Sydney (Australia), 2016
o Seattle Tattoo Expo (USA), 2016
o New Plymouth Tattoo Convention (New Zealand), 2015-2019
o Montreal Tattoo Convention (Canada), 2017