Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Monaghan is a criminally overlooked Glasgow School of Art contemporary of the "New Glasgow Boys". His work has been exhibited globally and he is a former winner of the Scottish Young Contemporary Artist of the Year.
His exhibition history includes the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, McLennan Galleries, Glasgow, Mall Galleries, London, the London Contemporary Art Fair and many other UK shows and galleries.
Highlights include a solo show as part of the 1990 European Capital of Culture program and a joint exhibition with Peter Howson at Charles Rennie Mackintosh's "House for an Art Lover".