John Shinnors was born in Limerick in 1950 and studied at the Limerick School of Art and Design. He has regular solo exhibitions and has exhibited in many group shows since the 1980s.

His work is represented in many public and private collections and he has received a number of awards. He was the subject of the R.T.É documentary Split Image – John Shinnors.

He is a member of Aosdána, a fellow of Limerick Institute of Technology, and is involved in the promotion of the arts through the Shinnors Scholarship and the Shinnors Drawing Award. He lives and works in Limerick.

His triptych Lighthouse, Man’s cat and Washing is on permanent display in the lower atrium of the museum.