John Fitzgerald Owens

I was born in the 1960's in the war torn Creggan Estate in Derry Ireland during what has become known as the Troubles, the most violent time in the history of Ireland. Many of my influences have come from the way I view the world, with always from a young age enjoying and questioning art and photography. I was educated at a Catholic Grammar school and was punished for being individual and self assured with my only succour being my view of the world through the lens of my camera and my study of art appreciation. My main career was as a chef having travelled around the world cooking at a very high level in some of the worlds top hotels and restaurants internationally in places such as London, England, Zurich, Switzerland, Stockholm, Sweden, Philadelphia, PA. USA, Leeds England, Belfast. Ireland with work stages and my charity work, bringing me to many great places on my travels to China, Chile, Brazil, Nepal, Czech Republic, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Italy, & most recently New Zealand. I have been working and studying every year and I am a great believer in lifelong learning. I now live with my family of my wife Helen and our three daughters and we live in the countryside now in beautiful Ballyronan, County Derry...

St. Columb's College, Derry - Art Appreciation
NIHCC - Culinary Arts
Waltham Forest College London - Advanced Culinary Art
Belfast Metropolitan College - Advanced Patisserie
Northern Regional - GCSE Photography
BTEC 3 Advanced Photography
Royal Society Photography - LRPS Licentiateship
Havard University Cambridge Mass USA - Leadership
Fellow World Master Chef Society (FWMCS)
Culinary Art B Judge Ireland - WACS