Michael Doolan lives in Melbourne and works in Sydney where he is a Lecturer at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney. In 1981, he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Ceramic Design) at Chisholm Institute of Technology, Melbourne, and in 2001, graduated with a Master of Arts at Monash University, Melbourne where he is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Fine Arts.

Michael has held various solo exhibitions throughout Australia, most notably Once Upon A Time (2010); Federation Square Melbourne, Forever for Now (2008) Depot Gallery, Sydney; For Now and For Ever (2007), Karen Woodbury Gallery, Melbourne; Never EverLand, Academy Gallery, University of Tasmania, Launceston (2005); The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly, Faculty Gallery, Monash University, Melbourne (2000); he has also participated in numerous group exhibitions and nationally and internationally, including Your Move: Australian Artists Play Chess, touring nationally (2010-11). KORERO, International Ceramics Biennale, Taipei, Taiwan (2010); CLASH, Newcastle Region Art Gallery, Newcastle, N.S.W. (2010); Trajectory of Memories: Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and McClelland Outdoor Sculpture Survey, McClelland Art Gallery and Sculpture Park, Langwarrin, Victoria (2008); Snap Freeze: Still Life Now. TarraWarra Museum of Art, Victoria, Australia (2007); Strange Cargo: Contemporary art as a state of encounter, touring Newcastle Region Gallery, Tweed River Regional Gallery, Ipswich Art Gallery, Broken Hill City Art Gallery, Orange Regional Gallery, Bendigo Art Gallery, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery(2006); the prestigious by invitation only Trans Ceramic Art, Third World International Ceramics Biennale, Korea (2005); Michael’s work features in many private collections, as well as public collections both locally and abroad.

Among his various achievements, Michael has been the recipient of a Connections Residency, Australia Council for the Arts (2009), Arts Development Grant, Australia Council for the Arts (2005); London Studio Residency, Australia Council for the Arts (2002); the Sidney Myer International Ceramics Award (2002); and in 1995, was awarded a gold medal at the 14th International Biennale, Ceramique d’Art, Vallauris, France.