Michael O’Shea

Michael became a CFPR Visiting Fellow in 2024. His work straddles commercial graphic design, book arts and printmaking, academic research and teaching. He also writes for academic and commercial publications.

Michael’s work focuses on communication as an opportunity to create relatable and inclusive connections. He uses the inherent meaning and cultural understanding held in materials and objects to inform and strengthen the communicative power of a printed piece. His academic research and teaching explore the thinking behind this approach, looking at print’s ability to convey information in a multi-sensory way and the effect of this on society and culture. His Fellowship will further investigate print’s role as material culture and how printed objects shape human experience.

Michael was formerly Lecturer in Design at The University of Edinburgh. He has run his own design practice since 2013, and his design work has included postage stamps for Royal Mail to publications for the Venice Biennale. His most recent written work includes an academic paper in Design Issues looking at design’s ethical and social responsibility, and an article exploring the influential posters of Sydney’s Nimrod Theatre for the State Library of New South Wales’ magazine Openbook. His design has won a number of awards – including five D&AD, eight DBA and 14 Scottish Design Awards – and has appeared in publications including Phaidon’s A Smile in the Mind. His artist’s books are held in national collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Galleries Scotland and the Tate.