About

Dr Lisa Hester (PhD, BFA) is an artist and academic based in Limerick whose work includes teaching, research, and socially engaged practice.

She holds a PhD in Fine Art from the Limerick School of Art and Design, Technological University of the Shannon (TÚS). Her doctoral research offers a hermeneutic analysis of the interconnections between art criticism and depth psychology, seeking to enrich our understanding of visionary art. This research has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals.

Building on this foundation, Lisa lectures on the MA programme Art, Psyche and the Creative Imagination at LSAD, where her teaching and research considers how arts-based methodologies from a depth psychological perspective can contribute to personal and cultural understanding.

Alongside her academic work, Lisa maintains an active studio practice. She also holds a First-Class Honours BFA in Painting from LSAD, and her artistic process increasingly integrates digital technologies to document creative practice, support reflection, and expand dialogue between artist, participant, and viewer.

Her emerging socially engaged practice includes projects developed in schools, special education contexts, and care homes. She currently works as a Creative Associate with Creative Schools in the Midwest and has developed arts-in-health projects exploring memory, play, and reflection, often using the symbol as a point of dialogue. Recent initiatives include A Space for Remembering and Healing (Irish Hospice Foundation Seeds Grant, 2024) and ongoing work as recipient of the Arts and Health Emerging Artist Bursary (2025).

Awards & Fellowships: Arts & Health Emerging Artist Bursary (2025), Irish Hospice Foundation Seeds Grant (2024), LIT President’s Research Fellowship (2021), LIT Postgraduate Fellowship (2019), Cass Art LSAD Graduate Award (2019).