Vanessa Daws

Vanessa is a long distance swimmer and artist based in Dublin, her work brings together art, swimming, communities and place. In 2025/26 Vanessa was awarded the inaugural Dr Ailbhe Murphy Research Residency at Create. Recent solo exhibitions include The Lab, Dublin 2024 and Fabrica, Brighton 2022. The Arts Council of Ireland purchased Vanessa’s film “At Home in the Water” for their collection in 2023.

Vanessa received the Arts Council Open Call Award in 2020 and spent the next 4 years woking with curator Rosie Hermon on ‘Swimming a Long Way Together’. The project drew its inspiration from the 20th century pioneering long distance swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, as part of its wider celebration of swimming and swimming communities. Swimming a Long Way Together was a durational art work that created a series of large-scale live events and exhibitions in Ireland, Northern Ireland and England.

In 2024 Vanessa swam solo across English Channel, the swim took her 17:35 hours, and, in the spirit of Mercedes Gleitze, Vanessa has also pioneered new swims, including swimming 40 kilometres, the Length of Lough Corrib, Co Galway in 2025.

Swimming a Long Way Together - Cork — **Swimming a Long Way Together**
30 Hour Swim and Poolside Performance - A reimagining of Mercedes Gleitze’s 30 hour Endurance Swim at the Eglinton Baths, Cork in 1930. Midleton College, Co Cork. 2021
Photo: Brian Cregan

Swimming a Long Way Together - Dublin — **Swimming a Long Way Together**
The project launch with a swim and music performance on the River Liffey in Dublin. 2021
Photo: Brian Cregan

**Swimming a Long Way Together**
47 Hour Swim & Poolside Performance - a reimagining of Mercedes Gleitze’s 47 hour Endurance Swim in Worthing in 1932. Sea Lanes, Brighton 2023.
Photo: Phoebe Wingrove

Swimming a Long Way Together 2022Animation on the Donaghadee Lighthouse as part of the finale of the Donaghadee event. 2022Photo: Brian Cregan — **Swimming a Long Way Together 2022**
Animation on the Donaghadee Lighthouse as part of the finale of the Donaghadee event. 2022
Photo: Brian Cregan

Swimposium Dublin — **Swimming a Long Way Together**
Swimposium, a day-long journey across Dublin Bay, with swims, talks, music, food and performance along the way. 2021
Photo: Brian Cregan

Swimming a Long Way Together - Dover — **Swimming a Long Way Together**
Mercedes Gleitze puppet made with Future Foundry in Dover. 2023
Photo: Josh Leppenwell

**At Home in the Water**
film installation at Fabrica, Brighton 2022
Photo: Tom Thistlethwaite

Shoal - The Lab, Dublin — **Shoal**
The Lab, Dublin - Ceramic drawing made with 500 fish and sea creatures created by over 500 people from Dover and Dublin. 2024

Beyond Islands - Skerries — **Beyond Islands**
A night time journey, by land and water. Skerries, Co Dublin. 2019
Photo: Brian Cregan

**Two Origins**
One of 13 drawings for Steve Mentz’s book ‘Ocean’ Bloomsbury Press 2020

Barrel Jellyfish Dublin Bay UNESCO Biosphere — **Barrel Jellyfish**
Painting enlarged onto a window vinyl for the Dublin Bay UNESCO Biosphere 2025

Beneath the SurfaceTwo Origins — **Beneath the Surface**
Acrylic on Arches paper

**Seafood Garden**
One of 13 drawings for Steve Mentz’s book ‘Ocean’ Bloomsbury Press 2020

Artist Statement

I’ve always had the compulsion to swim, to jump in any body of water I come across be it pond, river, lake or sea. My art practice explores place through swimming. ‘Place’ being the watery space that is navigated and swam through, the littoral space, and the social space created by this shared activity.

I begin my art projects by swimming in the particular body of water which I’m going to explore, the swimmer’s view and its expansive and imaginative space. I’m interested in the history, biodiversity, science and heritage of that watery place, and the personal stories connected to it. I’ve been describing this process as ‘Psychoswimography’ a watery drifting and re-imagining of place.

I use drawing, painting, film, sound, animation, photography and sculpture in my work, which can manifest in many formats, such as live art events in public spaces or art installations in gallery spaces as well as publications.

My work hopes to share the joy, concerns and curiosity of water, and show how precious our global waterways are to human and non-human life.