edward m. o’Hara – Artist Biography
Edward M. O’Hara is an abstract painter based in Highland, New York. His work explores the relationship between landscape, memory, and the elemental forces that shape the natural world. Drawing directly from nature, O’Hara has developed a distinctive process in which paint is applied to grasses and reeds, and paper or canvas is pressed onto them using his hands and feet. Through this act of contact and transfer, the textures and rhythms of the landscape are embedded into the surface. The resulting paintings move between abstraction and representation, capturing fleeting moments of wind, light, and place.
O’Hara has presented solo exhibitions at Lagstein Gallery in Nyack, NY; the Ned Harris Gallery at Garner Arts Center in Garnerville, NY; and Wired Gallery in High Falls, NY. He has also exhibited in group exhibitions throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond, including at Wired Gallery, the Lace Mill Gallery in Kingston, NY, Roost Arts in New Paltz, NY, and ArtSpace in New Haven, CT.
His work has been featured in literary collaborations and publications, including STRIDES: Reflections on 6 Acres by poet Laurence Carr (Lightwood Press) and the anthology Ekphrasis – Poetry & Images (Calling All Poets). His paintings have also been discussed in regional publications such as Kingston Wire and Southern Ulster Times. O’Hara is a member of 9W Artists, a collective of Hudson Valley painters, and his work is held in private collections throughout the United States and Costa Rica.
In parallel with his studio practice, O’Hara is the founder of SME Branding, a global brand development firm. Over a 35-year career, he has collaborated with organizations including the New York Yankees, Kentucky Derby, US Olympic Committee, FIFA World Cup, Madison Square Garden, adidas, and the NCAA. His work in branding has been featured on CBS’s This Morning Saturday, ESPN’s Outside The Lines, and CNN’s Moneyline, and in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today.
Born in New York City, O’Hara studied at CUNY Queens College and Suffolk County Community College, and continued his training at the Art Students League of New York.
Notable collectors
Pedro Belmar – Owner/CEO at Hotel Belmar – Monteverde, Cost Rica
Paul Bracey – President, Roost Arts Hudson Valley – New Paltz, NY
Kerry Carlson – Senior Vice President of Marketing, Xpressbet (FMR) – Saratoga, NY
Larry Carr – Writer, Poet and Editor of Lightwood Press – Highland NY
Nick Curtola – Executive Chef, The Four Horsemen – Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Greg Economou – Co-Founder & CEO, Game1 – Hollywood, CA
Bryan Harris – Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner, Taylor Strategy (FMR) – Newport, Rhode Island
Marc Jenkins – CEO, Leap Event Technology – Plano, TX
Robert Kissane – Chairman, CCS Fundraising – New York, NY
Drew Logan – Best Selling Author – Los Angeles, CA
Casey Ramage – SVP Marketing and Partnerships, The Kentucky Derby – Louisville, KY
Gina Soloperto – Behavioral Scientist & Founder, Glue, Inc. – New York, NY