News, Exhibits & Events
SumGood Art Auction 2026
14 May 2026 | Hen's Teeth, Blackpitts, Dublin 8 | 7.30pm
I have a print in this year's SumGood Art Auction, a live fundraising event raising money for the KickStart Kitchen, a chef training programme for young people. Over 100 artists involved, live bidding on the night and online via Invaluable.
The Lit Festival Opening Gala
7 November 2025 | Waterford Gallery of Art, Waterford
In conversation with Lit committee member Evan Wemyss at the opening gala of The Lit Festival; Europe's first and only youth-led festival of reading and writing, based in Waterford.
Expect a wide-ranging discussion on illustration, creativity and the arts, in front of an audience of Waterford's emerging and established creative community.
Animalopedia Events
October – December 2025 | Waterford
Official Book Launch
Wednesday 15 October 2025, 6.30pm | The Book Centre, Waterford
The official launch of Animalopedia by Kathi and John Burke. All welcome!
Halloween Signing
Friday 31 October 2025, 11.30am | Dubray Books, Waterford
A Halloween morning book signing and animal themed mask-making with Kathi and John Burke.
Animalopedia Schools Draw-Along
Friday 5 December 2025, 10am | Garter Lane Arts Centre Theatre, Waterford
A draw-along inspired by Animalopedia. Grab your pencils and sketch alongside Kathi as she brings the world of selkies, wolfhounds, salmon and swans to life. €2 per student.
Hand Drawn Lines Group Exhibition
18 September – 5 October 2025 | Naughton Gallery at Queen's University Belfast
My hand-drawn and collaged piece The World is featured in a wonderful group exhibition featuring illustrators represented by Belfast-based agency UsFolk, celebrating the richness and individuality of hand-drawn work at a time when images can be generated in an instant.
Cailleach Group Exhibition
6–10 March 2025 | Vault Gallery, 28–32 Victoria St, Belfast
My piece 'Girls Like Us' in showing in Cailleach, a group exhibition curated by Zippy, Wee Nuls and Kerrie Hanna, bringing together a coven of women artists to celebrate International Women's Day 2025.
The Tapestry Room: Closing Event
16 August 2024 | Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford
€10 | Adults only
An evening event to close The Tapestry Room exhibition. A special guest tells the tale of the infamous Loftus Hall, followed by a workshop making your own Oracle cards, drawing your dreams and nightmares into a personal deck. Tarot readings and special prizes as part of the evening's festivities.
Guinness x Kathi Burke Pop-Up @ Arnotts
1 August 2024 | Arnotts, Dublin
A summer pop-up on the ground floor of Arnotts in Dublin is bringing my Guinness collaboration to the North side! The shop has been transformed with a beach party vibe with surfboard shelving, harp sandcastles and exclusive merchandise.
I joined in-store to talk visitors through the origins and inspiration behind the Guinness x Kathi Burke collection.
Rock Pool Workshops
July 24 – 26 2024 | West Sligo Family Resource Centre, Enniscrone
Two collaborative drawing workshops for children aged 3–8. Working on a giant roll of paper featuring rock pool outlines, children gathered on the floor to fill the pools with starfish, anemones, fish, shells and sea creatures of their own imagination.
The finished artwork was displayed in the Old Church, Enniscrone in partnership with Abhainn Studio.
Imagination Cards at Spróg Festival
2–4 July 2024 | Garter Lane Theatre, Waterford
Two workshops where we transform cardboard, scrap paper and art materials into a unique deck of playing cards.
Drawing symbols and images inspired by their dreams (and nightmares!), each young artist contributes to a collective deck that reflects the vivid imaginations in the room.
Sprόg Festival 2024 | Ages 6+
The Tapestry Room
25 May – 17 August 2024 | Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford
An exhibition inspired by Loftus Hall and the story of Anne Tottenham.
Exhibition Launch
Saturday 25 May 2024 | Garter Lane Gallery, Waterford | All Welcome
The exhibition space is inspired by an isolated teenager’s bedroom, and the artwork presents an interpretation of the tapestry room where one card game transformed a girl’s headspace.
After Dervla, Dare to Discover
November 2023 | Blackwater Community School & St Carthage's Hall Gallery, Lismore
A week-long residency with Transition Year students at Blackwater Community School as part of Creative Waterford.
Students explored Murphy's relationship with Lismore, then worked with me to examine their own relationship with their senses and where they live. The resulting artwork was exhibited publicly in St Carthage's Hall Gallery, Lismore (28–30 November) and in Lismore Library until 16 December.
The week culminated in a day of celebration at Lismore Library on 28 November — Dervla Murphy's birthday — featuring an exhibition launch for the students and a public talk by author and sociologist Ethel Crowley.
Supported by Creative Waterford / Waterford Libraries
Our Waterford 2040
October 2023 | Index Gallery, Central Library, Waterford
Six mixed media pieces commissioned by Waterford City and County Council are being shown as part of Our Waterford 2040; an exhibition exploring what a positive, carbon-neutral future might look like for Waterford.
The series, Déise Day (2040), depicts six moments in one citizen's day, where future actions take inspiration from traditional life. Combining recognisable Waterford landmarks with collaged risograph maps of the city, the pieces serve as a plea for small daily actions in crafting a sustainable future.
Curated by Luke Currall of Waterford Gallery of Art.
Risograph printing by Damn Fine Print, Dublin. Framing by Leo Murphy.
Residency: CBI & Tyrone Guthrie Centre
Oct 30 – Nov 6, 2023 | Tyron Guthrie Centre
I have been awarded a week-long residency at the centre in Annaghmakerrig as one of nine recipients of the Children’s Books Ireland and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursaries 2023.
Lovely Day For A Visit @ Guinness Storehouse
7 June – Sept 2023 | Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
A large-scale illustration installation throughout the Guinness Storehouse, reimagining the building's iconic spaces as an indoor beach and park, from the gate to the Gravity Bar. Colourful, joyful and immersive, the installation runs all summer as part of the Guinness Storehouse's seasonal programme alongside live performances from Kelis and BICEP.
In collaboration with Archetype, Hens Teeth, Abhainn Studio and Wilson Hartnell, with production by Flying Elephant Productions, planting by The Garden and handmade bees and butterflies by Flock Studio Dublin.
Towers & Tales Children's Book Festival
29 April 2023 | Lismore, Co. Waterford
Under the Sea Draw-Along
11.30am | Lismore Library | Age 3+
A giant-scale collaborative drawing session using oil pastels, where young artists worked together to create an underwater scene full of fish, coral and colour.
Design a Cover with Kathi Burke
3pm | The Vault Café | Age 7+
A masterclass in story creation and book design. Let's get inspired by the world around us, make up a brand new story together, and design an original book cover.
Book Cover Design Workshops
24–25 May 2022 | Mount Sion CBS, Waterford
I am running workshops as a Children's Books Ireland Champion of Reading with the primary school students at Mount Sion CBS.
The boys will illustrate book covers inspired by the Little Library series – and they are the subjects of the stories! Two days of creativity, storytelling and lots of focused illustration incoming.
The Snug
July–August 2021 | Hens Teeth Gallery, Dublin
A complete, immersive world made entirely by hand during lockdown. I built my own fully realised Irish pub inside Hens Teeth Gallery.
Every element was designed from scratch; textiles, beer mats, pint glasses, mirrors, ashtrays, t-shirts, wall art, even the peanuts.
Open Road
June 2021 | Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork city
A co-created public artwork designed and painted with children aged 6–12 from diverse communities across Cork city, in collaboration with The Glucksman and curator Tadhg Crowley.
Over a series of workshops, the children drew and developed stories about their dreams, and their designs were painted directly onto Oliver Plunkett Street as part of Cork Midsummer Festival 2021.
Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland with support from Cork City Council.