About
Cat Bonner is a Portrait photographer, with a focused interest in Fantasy photography and visual storytelling operating from the West and North West of Ireland since 2016. They have successfully branched into videography to support their clients' portfolios, creating stunning film content for weddings, auditions, and personal projects.
Cat offers bespoke customized service in capturing people's best moments, giving individuals the space to bring their fantasies to life via photography. They strive to create a safe space for all who arrive at their door, regardless of the content of the photo shoot, and hold a strong belief that everyone has a story worth telling. This is something that can be seen throughout their portfolio of work.
An Unexpected Journey...
Cat established themselves as a photographer in August 2016, and has taken pride in their ability to evolve within their work, learning more about the world around them, and themselves in the process. Cat tackles dark and challenging themes faced by individuals in daily life, exploring the mediums of poetry, writing, painting, and the human form through their photography. They aim to make these challenging topics more accessible for others to understand and empathize with, giving their personal work a fantastical feel to create a softer angle on personal struggles faced. While they are known to explore themes such as trauma, personal image, self-esteem, and personal mental illness, these are neither triggering nor heavy with too many complex or impactful words and resistance dressers, and taking their clients from the forest to an impromptu photo shoot. Some of their most vibrant and compelling works come from these moments of unexpected joy shared with their friends.
Oh, how far we've travelled...
2024
2024 brought many very exciting developments and opportunities for Cat. They had been selected to join The Online Gallery Space with a collective of artists in residence created by Mathieu Decodts. Bringing a curated collection of their works and participating in the #ArtsNI exhibition as well. Working with local artists such as Lisa Callaghan of Expressive minds on her website. They worked on the Kaleidoscope showcase with Echo Acting. Working with actors of all walks of life on their headshots and coaching them on their audition tapes. They explored and worked on more boudoir photography and conceptual pieces such as “Grainne and the Lost Crown” with Hazel Doolan with an emphasis on a storytelling narrative. Ending the year with the final show of Eva Echo “Ruffled Feathers” by Rena Bryson in the Mick Lally theatre space in Galway.
2023
2023 was a time of change and rediscovery for Cat as after a short time away to recover from burnout. They started to pivot and niche down working events, headshots sessions and looking at the bigger picture of CBP. They were featured in the Sligo Champion as a featured artist and reworked their process as they set on a path of self discovery as a non binary artist. They also continued working with Echo Acting at this time, reopening wedding bookings and filming actors audition tapes this year.
2022
2022 became a year of refocusing and niching down for Cat into their fantasy works and exploring boudoir photography. They worked on the promotional material with Evas echo’s Jungle door run in the Edinburgh fringe festival, dipped their toes into cosplay photography and theatre works such as “Under the Night Sky” by Treasa Nealon.
2021
Starting the year with development under Mathieus mentorship Cat started to niche down starting with the live show photoshoot of “Uniform” by Hazel Doolan in the Townhall theatre Galway. During the year experimenting with fantasy shoots, fire shoot samhain, boudoir shoots and narrative shoots like “Inside” a collaborative concept piece based on the titular poem by Rena Bryson. They were also working on food, promotional and event photography with Lillies Sligo, sligo pride 2021, Outwest meeting events and exploring the history of drag performance with the Yeats Academy of Art, Design and Architecture Creative Practice masters students. As a local lgbtqai+ artist continuously promoting their local community and working on film promotion with “The Last Night” by Treasa Nealon and Rabbits Riot Theatre company. They also started working with Echo Acting working on “Scenes on a scene” headshop workshop.
2020
Pre-pandemic Cat hit the ground running working with Eva’s echo’ Uniform by Hazel Doolan and Jungle door by Rena Bryson’ run in Naas. Working with the Yeats Academy of Art, Design and Architecture, Creative Practice showcase “Hidden Voices” with Atu Sligo before temporarily closing due to Covid restrictions. During that time, they further developed their skills in post production and film editing. They were featured in Sligo Now as a highlighted artist. They return with a vengeance after the restrictions were lifted with “Mhara” showcasing a more cinematic style. Ending 2020 working with Mathieu Decodts under his mentorship programme.
2019
After a brief break at the start of the year, Cat started developing multiple original works with Jessica Bruen starting with the Witch Of The Woods shoot and co-directing the “dance of the furies” project (in development). Working on maternity shoots, the Scavenger conceptual shoot, working with Sligo Pride and working with local artists, they also worked with the Yeats Summer School.
2018
A big development year for Cat as 2018 brought their first in person exhibition with “A Selection of works” with a local collective of artists at the Nest . They were involved with multiple different campaigns including the launch of Coy Vintage multiple shoots with Hat’s You Win & Chickys Vintage and working on the Together For Yes Campaign. Branching into fantasy shoots and continuously working with festivals like the Where Are We Now festival.
2017
Starting this year out with developing and shooting “Shatter” Cat expanded their niche working in fashion photography , bringing more conceptual works and wedding photography. This year brought their first feature in Mayo Now with 3 pigs in the weekend. They also began working with other up and coming artists in the Galway Fringe Festival including Evas Echo theatre company and Rabbits riot Theatre Company.
2016
Starting out initially in small conceptual shoots during their time in ATU Letterkenny, Cat was discovering their style through home studio shoots. Until they started working with Dark Daughter Theatre Company and Costume hire during Heritage week in Glenveagh Castle. Leading them to theatre starting with “Motherloss” by Maura Logue, headshot photography with the 3rd level students in ATU Sligo and event photography with the Donegal bluestacks parade.They continued to explore different genres, beginning to discover darker themes through developing original works.