Joseph O'Connor is an accomplished Irish artist who has chosen to remain outside the mainstream throughout his career. Born in Dublin in 1936, he initially attended St.Dominic's College in Cabra before moving on to the Jesuits in Belvedere College. After secondary school he studied medicine at University College Dublin for a period before electing to follow his first love, the pursuit of an artistic career. This entailed the study of art at the National College of Art in Dublin, followed by stints at Regent Street Polytechnic and Chelsea Schools of Art in London. Afterwards he took a postal position in the U.K. to enable him to paint without financial pressure.