The Scottish Gallery Edinburgh Art Festival Exhibitions 2019

2019 marks the fifteenth year of the Edinburgh Art Festival which represents the visual arts in a month where Edinburgh is the cultural capital of the world, and The Scottish Gallery is a proud partner.

Stephen Bird in his studio with head plate, Sydney 2017, image: Charlotte le Brocque

This festival month we have curated four unique exhibitions, showcasing Scottish and international excellence in painting, ceramics and goldsmithing.

Derrick Guild, Label Anne Hyde after Sir Peter Lely, 2019, oil on linen, 173 x 122 cm

Derrick Guild’s unique interpretation of portraiture is on display at the site-specific exhibition: Ever After. The title is taken from an artwork consisting of forty individual miniature works which relate to portraits by Sir Peter Lely, Sir Anthony van Dyck, Sir Henry Raeburn and Pompeo Batoni. These works are reconfigured to create a dialogue which speaks of the sensuality of miniatures, the process of painting and the act of looking.

Stephen Bird, Woman painting her toe nails, 42x24x20cm, glazed earthenware

Stephen Bird battles the duality of the traditional and the non-traditional in ceramics. The title of his exhibition, Kiln Gods, refers to the small sculptures made by potters to act as talismans of good luck during the firing process. Each work has a subversive, historical and personal subject matter that is uniquely his own: surreal, dark and whimsical.

Jacqueline Ryan, Brooch. Primavera. 2018. 18ct gold

Jacqueline Ryan presents a new body of work entitled On the Surface, exclusively in gold and precious materials, inspired by structures, forms, surfaces and textures within the natural world.

Robin Philipson, Poppies on a Dark Ground, 1984, oil on board 76 x 76 cm

The Modern Masters Festival Edition is a selection of individual works of art representing the modern spirit in Scottish painting and visual art. This summer we will be focusing on portraiture, with an active intention to reflect on exhibitions concurrent in other venues in the city and internationally.