Miriam Innes (b.1979, Mayo, Ireland) is an international award-winning artist now based in Queensland, Australia. Her practice, rooted in themes of heritage, place and memory, reflects the connections between her Irish upbringing and her life abroad. Working almost exclusively in charcoal, Innes creates both intimate works and monumental installations that invite viewers to step inside sprawling urban landscapes.
Her choice of medium draws on her childhood in Ireland’s peatlands, where she likens charcoal to the ancient “bog oak” embedded in the land. This grounding in Irish heritage is central to her work, even as she turns her focus to global cities. By stripping colour away, Innes removes distraction and highlights the details of architecture; windows, pavements, fire escapes, transforming familiar streets into meditative spaces.
Innes has exhibited widely, with over 17 solo shows and 50 group exhibitions from New York, South Korea, Middle East and all major Australian cities. Touring projects include New York Rambling (2019), a 27-metre charcoal installation that took over two years to complete, and 22.96 Overflow (2025), a major new work continuing her exploration of scale, immersion and memory.
Through these projects, Innes builds a dialogue between Irish heritage and contemporary urban experience, offering viewers a sense of both intimacy and vastness.
Innes has exhibited widely across Australia and internationally, including the United States, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Republic of Korea. Her work is represented in a number of private collections in the United States, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Australia.
She was winner of the Bendigo Bank local Artist Award at the Du Rietz Art Award with her work 'Where were you when...' in 2020. Innes was also award the Lyn McCrea Memorial Drawing Award, people's choice at Noosa Art Gallery for her large scale, internationally acclaimed New York Rambling in 2020. She was invited to participate as a judge in the International Boynes Emerging Artist award in 2021 and frequently conducts workshops and give talks on her creative process.
