Island Expressions
Open Call
Calling all artists, photographers, creatives, makers, poets, and/or Gaelic singer/songwriters living in one of the following Island communities: Barra, Coll, Colonsay, Islay, Jura, Kerrera, Lismore, Mull, South Uist, or Tiree.
Is Scottish contemporary art only generated in the central belt? Does living rurally mean your creative outputs aren’t considered outwith your immediate locale? How would we, as islanders and artists, wish to portray our communities and how is this different from the ways in which arts organisations do so? How then, can we present a depiction of our land, its complex histories, and its people, across the west coast archipelago, through artistic practice, to new audiences?
Employing Dùthchas as a curatorial framework, exploring kincentric relationships between art, land, and community, we are seeking to bring together artwork, craft, and Gaelic and English poetry and song, from island communities which feed into, or are served by, Oban. Uniting in a contemporary mixed-media exhibition, at Sadie Hall this July, showcasing the beauty, alongside the challenges, of true island life.
For the islands, by the islanders, to non-islanders.
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Island Expressions
Exhibition
Island Expressions unites twenty-six creative practitioners, from twelve island communities surrounding Oban, in a contemporary showcase of artwork, craft, poetry and song.
Grounded in Dùthchas, an ancient Scottish Gaelic concept highlighting the profound connection between individuals, their land, language, and cultural heritage, this curatorial work shifts away from the transactional or extractive, de-centring the institution by challenging the implications of bringing external narratives to a community. Instead, Island Expressions seeks to highlight stories, artistic practices, and histories embedded within island communities, offering an opportunity for creatives within these disparate communities across Scotland’s west coast archipelago, to come together to share their work with new audiences.
In this way, the exhibited works do not only tell their own stories, but when presented together unite in kincentric and relational storytelling. The exhibition space fosters relationships connecting ancestorial influences, present community, and the wider landscape.
Situated within the socio-political sphere of the Hebrides, this is not a traditional exhibition. This is a platform for kinship through shared practice, an act of community building, facilitating an opportunity for Scottish island creatives to share their practice, voices, and island bonds, with new audiences.
For the islands, by islanders, to non-islanders.
Location: Sadie Hall, Stevenson St, Oban PA34 5NA
Opening Event: 6-9pm Friday 24th July
Exhibition Open:10am-4pm Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th July
Island Expressions Video Tour
Take a virtual tour around Island Expressions, with music by Donald Malcolm MacNeill
Gallery
Meet The Artists
Alicia Hendrick
Isle of Mull
Alicia is a Creative Crofter who has had a strong studio practice on the Isle of Mull for 40 years, working and exhibiting as a visual artist, lead artist (Processions), theatre designer (Mull Theatre), founding member of 6 Degrees West Collective and curator (An Tobar). She studied at GSA and lived in Russia. Alicia introduced Chris Carol (Third Eye Centre) to a group of Russian artists she worked with, which led him to make connections with Moscow-based artists and introduce them to Scotland. In 2012 she worked on an Olympiad project improvising a set alongside storyteller Andy Cannon. In 2018, Alicia exhibited with the collective 6 Degrees West as part of EAF, and exhibited Erraid Works with Richard Demaro. Alicia has been awarded two VACMA grants (2020/2022) and the Colmcille’s Legacy Award (2021). She has had CS funded artist residencies on the islands of Inch Kenneth, Erraid and Iona. In 2023 she had a solo exhibition at The Tower, Duddingston and in 2024 exhibited at the RSA and with VAS. In 2024 Alicia moved to Fife to support her daughter and set up a studio, taking part in Open Studio North Fife plus exhibiting locally. Her work has been selected by Glasgow University to be the cover images of their publications on their research into place names on Iona. Alicia retains a studio on the Ross of Mull.
Sally Walker
Isle of Colonsay
Sally Walker is a retired conservation Architect living around half the year in a sustainable house in Colonsay built with natural materials she designed in 2007 with her architect husband Chris, overlooking the Atlantic. Sally and her family fell in love with Colonsay 30 years ago, staying for family holidays with 3 energetic boys and several generations of Border Terriers. Sally paints the wild landscapes in a semi-abstract style in oil, pastels and sometimes print, combining elements of both abstract and figurative art where recognisable places are depicted with some stylisation rather than a purely realistic representation. All her paintings are original pieces except lino-printed editions or hand drawn plant portraits. Sally donates to Only One Ocean a charity that focuses on protecting the ocean and marine conservation through sustainability work that impacts on remote islands and aligns with her professional aspirations for a lighter impact on the planet.
Ann Mcgregor
Isle of Kerrera
Better known as @kerrera_lass, Ann has called the island of Kerrera home for the past 41 years. Surrounded by its stunning landscapes and abundant wildlife, she has developed a lifelong passion for nature. From the tiniest insects to the majestic White-tailed Eagle, Ann is fascinated by the incredible diversity of life around her. Through her photography, she aims to capture authentic moments in the wild, sharing the beauty and character of the species that make this island so special.
Anna Poynter
Isle of Iona
Anna is a photographer from the Isle of Iona, with generational ties to the island. Pairing her work with aspects of mixed media and writing she captures the warmth and nostalgia of growing on the island.
Cindy Stevens
Isle of Barra
Cindy has lived in a variety of places across Europe and Africa before settling permanently in the Isle of Barra more than twelve years ago. She published prose works on social policy, Sherlock Holmes and trees before turning to poetry. Since then, Cindy has had work accepted in a number of publications and has published the collection 'Botswana to Barra'.
Brodie Sim
Isle of Tiree
Brodie Sim is a visual artist based on the Isle of Tiree. She graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Fine Art (Sculpture) from Edinburgh College of Art in 2013 and later completed a Master's with Distinction in Art and Social Practice at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Alongside her artistic practice, Brodie has worked across arts education, programming and producing with organisations including Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, The Common Guild and Screen Argyll. Her work is driven by a commitment to making the arts accessible, creating opportunities for participation, and supporting creative communities. In 2024, Brodie founded Tiree Makery, an artist-led social enterprise and creative hub dedicated to nurturing creativity on the island. Through workshops, exhibitions, artist development and community projects, Tiree Makery supports local makers and artists while creating opportunities for people of all ages to engage with the arts and strengthening Tiree's cultural life.
Cliff G. Jackson
Isle of Colonsay
Cliff began woodturning before entering ministerial training, and has continued on and off for 37 years. In several busy parishes turning fitted beautifully, as he could leave unfinished work on the lathe and return to it when there was a lull in the busyness. Self-taught, Cliff prefers to work with our native hardwoods, especially ash, lime and yew. His favourites being the fruit woods like cherry, which smells of cherries when being tuned, and apple, which comes off the chisel like apple peel. Finding driftwood brings Cliff genuine pleasure, especially if it can be turned. The winter storms that bring destruction can also bring sylvian treasure. He has found teak, mahogany and pine on Colonsay's beaches, all of which (unless ship wormed) have been suitable for the lathe. Now retired Cliff has more time (in theory) to indulge his passions of turning, writing, and stacking, as well as golf, gardening, fishing, painting, walking...
Clare Sharp
Isle of Luing
Clare Sharp grew up in Essex before relocating to the Isle of Luing, a small island off Scotland’s west coast, in 2018. Inspired by the surrounding seascapes and island life, her writing reflects a deep connection to place, light, and the rhythms of the natural world. An accountant by profession, she balances her work with creative pursuits including poetry, photography, baking, and sailing. Although she has written poetry for many years, Clare is only now beginning to share her work more widely. Submitting her writing for publication and exhibition marks an exciting new chapter in her creative journey.
David Page
Isle of Mull
David lives on Mull and has painted the island for a number of years, with themed exhibitions being shown at Calgary Art Gallery. These are as follows; The Right to Roam Shoreward (Mull) The Last Munro (Ben More) Grit and Grace (Iona) It is the last exhibition that heightened his academic and painterly interest in the importance of Iona.
Mark Unsworth
Isle of Islay
Mark moved to Islay in the year 2000 after a successful career as a freelance press and P.R. photographer to set up the business Islay Studios and associated gallery on the island. In his work, Mark visualises subjects from a different angle or perspective and often uses techniques to set his work apart. The islands are very well documented and photographed so he likes to challenge the norms of photography.
Rosalind Jane Jewell
Isle of Colonsay
Currently based in North Wales, Rosalind is an artist who specialises in paintings of landscapes and places of interest. Until last year she lived in the Hebrides on the Isle of Colonsay for 11 years and became absorbed in this rugged, remote landscape. Her work is primarily about places, the natural landscape and often the juxtaposition of the built and natural environment. This is a consequence of where she grew up- Greater Manchester, surrounded by the Pennine hills. Rosalind has been commissioned many times to paint seascapes, landscapes and people’s houses, reflecting the place they call home.
K.Gow
Isle of Jura
Kirsten is a mixed-media artist and writer living and working in the Isle of Jura. She uses a range of materials to create one-off pieces and work which promotes discussion. Gow has a HND in Art Glass design from City of Glasgow College and gained wider experience through courses and internships in the UK and Europe. In 2016 she received the Lady MacDonald Prize from the Incorporation of Wrights, which honours outstanding talent and craftsmanship among students and apprentices. In 2022 Gow was shortlisted for the prestigious John Byrne Award for her installation ‘Remote / Far Away’. Her work is often inspired by the landscape, communities and stories of Scotland’s islands and coastlines, as well as by her wider work as a researcher specialising in islands and rural areas.
Krisztian Izsak
Isle of Mull
Krisztian is a photographer based on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. His work is shaped by the island’s changing weather, coastal landscapes, quiet communities and layered histories. Through photography, he explores the relationship between people, place and memory, often looking beyond the postcard image to show the lived reality of island life. His practice moves between documentary observation and atmospheric visual storytelling, focusing on moments of connection, solitude, resilience and belonging. Living on Mull, Krisztian is interested in how landscape is not only seen, but experienced through distance, routine, weather, work and community.
Hannah Close
Isle of Gometra
Hannah Close is a writer and artist based on the Hebridean Isle of Gometra. Her work explores the theme of islandness through the many mediums, including writing, photography, mythological costume, and film. Her island waybook, A Stone Made of Circle, is out with Humans and Nature Press Autumn 2026. She is working on a documentary film called Islandness. Hannah also runs islandness residencies on the Isle of Ulva in addition to sailing trips around the Hebrides.
Donald Malcolm MacNeill
Isle of Colonsay
Born on Colonsay in 1953, Donald has lived there for most of his life. He trained and worked as a teacher but also as a farmer/crofter and shopkeeper. Donald is married with two children and four grandchildren. His parents were fluent Gaelic speakers and his Father was a Gaelic poet. For the last 50 years or so he has been writing songs, often inspired by life on Colonsay, and has performed locally and occasionally off the Island.
Gordon Scott
Isle of Tiree
Originally from Lanarkshire Gordon has lived and worked on the Isle of Tiree for 32 years. Through his art, Gordon aims to create new ways of looking at familiar things.
Anonymous
Isle of Colonsay
Raised in the countryside, at age 5, they watched a farmer’s wife sat at her spinning wheel in her kitchen, producing yarn for knitting. They loved the way the wheel went round, with squeaks and thuds as it whirled. They said the wheel was singing to them. Later, they watched the sheep shearing, the fleece destined for yarn by the magic of that very old spinning wheel in a farmhouse kitchen. The sounds of that singing wheel never left them. Some forty years later, they visited a country show and heard a familiar sound - singing wheels! The local guild of spinners demonstrating their craft. Latterly, one of them, a farmer’s wife, taught them to spin and weave. Their husband gifted them their first spinning wheel on holiday in New Zealand. They now have three spinning wheels, and has taught spinning – and still the wheels sing, just as they did 65 years ago.
Anonymous
Isle of Colonsay
On retirement they had time to take up new hobbies, including photography and astronomy. Prior to retirement they were inspired by the ‘Sky at Night’ television programme hosted by Sir Patrick Moore and guided by their local amateur astronomical society in developing their interest in the night sky. Purchase of a telescope and use of an existing SLR camera permitted the two hobbies to coalesce. Subsequent membership of the British Astronomical Association enabled them to develop their astro-photography skills to the degree that the BAA Journal have kindly seen fit to publish several of their images over the years.
Sarah Ann NicLeòid
Isle of Barra
Sarah was brought up on Barra, from a Gaelic speaking family. She worked in Glasgow as a primary teacher for a number of years, before returning to teach in Barra. Sarah paints as a hobby, a means of escapism, and as a way to calm the mind and release. However, she doesn’t get much time to practice her creative endeavours while juggling a young family and work commitments. She wishes she could paint all day everyday…
Seònaid MacDonald
Isle of Lismore
Living on Lismore with roots there, after living in Australia for many years, Seònaid became very aware of the 'connection to country' which exists within us all. Dùthchas for her, translates to more than basic indigenous or hereditary definitions, and she explores this within her work.
Sheila Mcgregor
Isle of Kerrera
Sheila runs a large farm on the Isle of Kerrera and uses every spare moment to nurture her creativity. As a farmer, her connection to the land shapes both her life and art. Working closely with nature each day gives Sheila inspiration, grounding, and a deep appreciation for the beauty found in ordinary moments. She enjoys working with wool and mixed media, drawn to their textures, versatility, and natural qualities, inviting others to pause and appreciate the beauty and character of the natural world.
Mary Trodden
Isle of Seil
Mary ran an artist’s collective from her previous studio with Wasps at Patriothall in Edinburgh and they exhibited regularly in both commercial and artist led galleries. She graduated from ECA in 2001, winning a competition to exhibit in the newly opened Biscuit Factory Gallery, Newcastle in 2002. The following are some of her achievements; Exhibited Generator Projects Dundee 2003, Re-Coat Gallery Glasgow 2006, awarded Resident Artist at the Borders Hospital in Melrose 2007/8, nominated for Kelpies Design award 2014, exhibited Coburg House 2015, Edinburgh Annualle 2017, Independent, Sunderland 2018, awarded John Byrne award 2019, exhibited Whitespace Edinburgh 2022, Dundas Street Gallery in February 2023, Patriothall 2023/2024. Mary’s work is mainly figurative, making paintings and drawings; she’s interested in how people work together, in their occupations, with relation to place and with each other.
Melissa Humber
Isle of Mull
Five years ago, shortly after graduating with a BA in Fine Art, Melissa relocated from Northumberland to Lochbuie on the Isle of Mull. Melissa's ancestral roots are stretched too thin across Yorkshire / Orkney / Ireland. As someone who has been uprooted often and has no relationship with her family of origin, she had struggled to feel a sense of belonging until the twists and turns of life led her to Mull. The surreal atmosphere and wild beauty surrounding her now provides endless inspiration. Melissa’s work is available in local galleries such as AnTobar and Mull Pottery studio. Melissa's paintings are often described as intricately detailed and capable of evoking memories of the vivid dream-like qualities of Scottish islands. Melissa enjoys researching Jungian theories, Pictish knotwork and ancient alchemical astrology. She is particularly fond of painting native flowers, reflections, empty roads, fences and standing stones.
Rachel Gwilym
Isle of Tiree
Rachel is a Tiree-based storyteller, grief educator and creative practitioner. Her work explores how story, image, ritual and reflective practice can help people make meaning after loss, rupture and profound life change. Through Transforming Loss, she creates courses, workshops and resources that draw on folklore, myth, memoir, death education, creative writing and therapeutic practice. She is particularly interested in the old stories that speak to exile, endurance, transformation and return, and in the ways symbolic forms can hold experiences that are difficult to tell directly. Rachel’s practice often works with familiar objects and structures — postcards, letters, folk tales, folded paper, domestic images, journeys and thresholds — as containers for grief, memory and witness.
Sheila Quillin
Easdale Island
Recovering from her 2nd cataract operation, not being able to bend and unable to make her usual dust, wooden sculptures, Sheila has been walking the main paths and following the sheep path's on the hills of Easdale Island, creating ‘My Sheep walking Art’. This work is an exciting evolving process that Sheila is keen to collaborate on to create a west coast island experience of finding "their own Totem poles", as an ongoing evolving installation experience, using location finder.
Carolyne Mazur
Isle of Mull
Carolyne Mazur is a photographer of Scottish Polish parentage. She was born and brought up in Angus and her home is now in Mull.
Mazur’s practice is a form of journalling - recording the process of exploration and research, whilst gaining a deeper understanding of a Gaelic Way of Seeing and of her own relationship with Place, both past and present.
She is currently working on Fangan, a study of Fanks - beautiful, poignant dry stone wall structures - found across Mull and surrounding islands.