Artist of the Month, September 2026 - Joe Laverty

Joe Laverty is an Irish photographic artist & filmmaker. He completed his MFA in Photography at Ulster University, Belfast, in 2022. His work explores place and our human interaction with it, with a particular focus on marginal or overlooked areas in both urban and rural contexts. His recent practice investigates the intersection of extraction industries and historical narratives within the rural Irish landscape, examining the subtle tension between nature and industrial intervention, where human impact and nature coexist in quiet conflict.

‘Nature Reserve, Washingbay, Lough Neagh’ is part of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Art Collection. The image is part of a wider body of work called ‘Shallow Waters’, which looks at our complicated relationship with nature, through the pollution of Lough Neagh. The work explores how myth and tradition sit alongside intensive agriculture and big industry around the shores of the Lough, charting connections between these opposing engagements with Lough Neagh, as it fights for survival. The series was nominated for the Prix Pictet & exhibited at Belfast Photo Festival.

Futher information about Joe and his work can be found at www.joelaverty-photography.com