Clio Ryan is an Irish born documentary photographer and artist who has recently completed a BA (Hons) in Documentary Photography at the University of South Wales, formerly the University of Wales, Newport.

Her work focuses on such themes as economics, politics, and gender equality, to name just a few topics, and recently has featured video recordings of performance pieces and self-portrait photographs captured at the conclusion of these performances.

Clio utilizes her artistic output to draw attention to political, environmental, social, religious, gender, or economical issues that she feels are under or un-represented in contemporary society.

Most recently, Clio has travelled to Rome, Italy to complete the body of work ‘Diakonos’ which focuses on the role of women in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), and explores evidence of their involvement as ordained members of the RCC , founders of house-churches and central figures in the spread of Christianity in the first centuries A.D.

Past bodies of work include ‘Political Prisoner’: inspired by the poem ‘Revolutionary Letter no. 61’ (written between 1968 and 1971 by poet, Diane Di Prima) along with the expression “the personal is political”. Each image examines personal political projections, and examines various aspects of modern society including capitalism, waste, the meat industry and the domestic roles of women.