ABOUT THE ARTIST
Naoibh McNamee (b. 1999, Birmingham, UK, the World) is an alien. They create performances, wearable forms, and stand-alone sculptural works that illustrate their very human experiences as an autistic and queer being.
Colour, camp and unusual materials are foundational to their playful and imaginative body of work that embraces ridiculousness. With humour and vulnerability, Naoibh draws attention to the things that other them in society while celebrating the communities they find home within.
Naoibh believes the repetition of mundane objects creates absurdity. From thousands of vinyl records and songs on mp3 players, to suits made of rubber gloves and can tabs - the joy of repetition really is in them.
Naoibh has exhibited and performed at locations including Sotheby's London, Tate Liverpool, New Art Gallery Walsall, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Brighton and Hove Museums, and Project Ability Glasgow. They are currently funded by Arts Council England.
EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS
2026 The Lycett Arms - Channel 4
2025 Awarded DYCP (Round 23) Funding - Arts Council England
2024 Masked Ball with utopian_realism - Grand Union (Birmingham)
2023 From Within The Alien(Nation) - BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
(Newcastle) (Film Screening)
2023-24 HUMANITY - Brighton and Hove Museums (Group Show)
2023 HUMANITY - Project Ability (Glasgow) (Group Show)
2023 Crush - Centrala (Birmingham)
2023 HUMANITY - Sotheby's (London) (Group Show)
2022 Caught Me In Its Spotlight - Tate Liverpool (Group Show)
2022 Caught Me In Its Spotlight - The New Art Gallery Walsall (Solo Event)
2022 ASCENSÜS - Birmingham School of Art (Group Exhibition)
2022 CTRL - Birmingham School of Art Degree Show
2022 EN:TRANCE - Stryx (Group Exhibition)
2021 Tomorrow’s News - Vivid Projects (Birmingham) (Group Exhibition)
2020 Capturing Chronic Illness - University of Edinburgh (Online Exhibition)
2020 Shifting Positions - Birmingham School of Art (Group Exhibition)
2019 Bollards Project - Ikon Gallery (Group Exhibition with Ikon Youth Project)
PRESS
Four young artists on Birmingham’s devastating art cuts - Dazed
Is It Time to Ditch the Term 'Outsider Art'?
“Is the Art World Enforcing Ableism?”
Humanity: The Outside In National Exhibition - Sotheby's
Outside In National Exhibition
Project Artworks at Tate Liverpool
EXPLORERS project residency announcement
The New Art Gallery Walsall - Exhibition
Outside In residency announcement
Outside In and the New Art Gallery Walsall
