Karen Conway—Papaver Somniferum

Opium is the dried milky sap of the immature seed pod of the Papaver Somniferum. The sticky paste contains many chemical substances, including morphine. This name is derived from Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. His father was the god Hypnos, the god of sleep. The German pharmacist Sertürner first isolated the alkaloid from opium in 1804. The name morphine is very well chosen because the effect of morphine transports the user to a soft dream world, excluding them from reality and consequences.

Karen Conway grew up in Dublin. She works through drawing, usually pencil on paper. In 2023, she was awarded a residency with ARE Holland, at the B93 Atelierstichting, as well as the Tyrone Guthrie Centre bursary from Galway City Council.