2024 Awardee: Mary Lydon

Receiving the fund from Dewar was beneficial as I planned for our team's third exhibition. This has been by far the largest exhibition, featuring 46 artists from both Scotland and Ukraine. Dewar’s support helped my team and I to have safely transferred all the artwork to the site and to produce an archival catalogue of all featured artists in the show. As we commence with future exhibitions it is incredibly important for Skarbnytsya to create an archive of all emerging contemporary artists we collaborate with. We at Skarbnytsya believe that the archival document of collaboration is vital to retain the stories and narratives of the creatives we work with because it pertains to the greater understanding of cultural history. Winning the award from Dewar has given me greater support in the project and emphasises that the work that Skarbnytsya does is important. I am grateful for Dewar for having such an award for Scotland’s young artistic talent.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2024
AGE AT AWARD: 24
ARTFORMS:
WEBSITE:https://www.instagram.com/skarbnytsya_/
 
 

Biography

Mary Lydon is a multidisciplinary artist from Ukraine, who currently lives in Glasgow. She co-founded Skarbnytsya in March 2022 and has since been involved in the production of three exhibitions, raising over £10,000 in charity aid for Ukraine.

In general, her art works traverse themes of life, death and rebirth, reflecting the circumstances of her homeland and addressing the trauma of forced displacement. She continually works with the immense visual power of symbols and traditional motifs; incorporating flags, coats of arms and other emblematic material into her constructions, from neo-tribal manhole covers to modernised coats of arms.

Being the art director and curator of Skarbnytsya allows Mary to showcase and preserve curios and ephemera made around and in light of this crucial moment in Ukrainian identity. Her current goal is to keep making Skarbnytsya exhibitions in Glasgow, and potentially take the show to London.

One of Mary’s tutors at Glasgow School of Art, states that “[Mary’s] dedication and care to the artists she exhibited is commendable and rare” and that her “work is an indication both of her capacity, but also (and perhaps more importantly so) of a deep, genuine desire to help others, and to allow for her work to reach beyond the studio and the gallery.”

How the Award Helped

Mary’s Dewar Award supported the development of Skarbnytsya, a Glasgow-based exhibition and print sale that celebrated “local Glasgow artists, underrepresented young makers and an eccentric collection of artists from Ukraine”. The exhibition was curated around the theme of passage and voyage, focusing particularly on Ukrainian craft and Celtic mythology. The award supported Mary in producing hand sewn vests and embroidered folk-style collars for the exhibition. These items took inspiration from her personal history, following passages across the continents during times of war.

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Receiving the fund from Dewar was beneficial as I planned for our team's third exhibition. This has been by far the largest exhibition, featuring 46 artists from both Scotland and Ukraine. Dewar’s support helped my team and I to have safely transferred all the artwork to the site and to produce an archival catalogue of all featured artists in the show. As we commence with future exhibitions it is incredibly important for Skarbnytsya to create an archive of all emerging contemporary artists we collaborate with. We at Skarbnytsya believe that the archival document of collaboration is vital to retain the stories and narratives of the creatives we work with because it pertains to the greater understanding of cultural history. Winning the award from Dewar has given me greater support in the project and emphasises that the work that Skarbnytsya does is important. I am grateful for Dewar for having such an award for Scotland’s young artistic talent.

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2023 Awardee: Tessa Mackenzie

YEAR OF AWARD: 2023
AGE AT AWARD: 28
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:http://www.tessamackenzie.com/
 
 

Biography

Tessa Mackenzie is a glassworker and illustrator based in Glasgow. She is interested in research-led projects, material focus in the built environment, and storytelling.

Tessa moved from London to Glasgow in 2012 to study Communication Design at the Glasgow School of Art. Since graduating she has developed a material-led practice, with a focus around how Stained Glass can enhance the way we experience architecture and the role it has to play in telling the stories of people that occupy a space.

Tessa has worked freelance since graduating, with selected clients including the BBC, Scottish Government, NHS, The Princes Foundation, Mind, Elephant Magazine and University of Edinburgh. She has also been featured by the BBC, Creative Review, It’s Nice That and Wallpaper.

How the Award Helped

Tessa’s Award supported her to explore the technique of acid etching. As Tessa is a self-taught stained glass maker, she didn’t have the opportunity to learn complex techniques in a traditional environment. Her Dewar Award allowed her to seek private tuition, access necessary facilities, cover material expenses and allocate dedicated time. This financial backing not only allowed her to learn the ancient technique but also paved the way for her to confidently explore innovative methods of production, enhancing and elevating her artistic practice.

Since the Award

In August 2024, Tessa opened The Glaziers Arms, a new studio that offers workshops, stained glass windows and glass homewares in Glasgow’s East End.

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2023 Awardee: Erin McQuarrie

The Dewar Arts Award has provided vital funding to set up my studio in the Scottish Highlands and purchase essential weaving tools. I would like to sincerely thank the committee for all their encouragement and support.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2023
AGE AT AWARD: 29
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:http://www.erinmcquarrie.com
 
 

Biography

Erin McQuarrie is a textile artist and researcher from Glasgow based in the Scottish Highlands. She believes ancient methods of making provide an innovative means of interpreting and responding to contemporary life. Through textiles McQuarrie reacts to the everyday – the language of warp and weft is her vocabulary, providing an antithesis to our fast-paced consumerist society, an outlet to explore health and wellbeing, and a platform for historical recovery.

Erin completed her BFA in Textiles at The Glasgow School of Art (2018) and her MFA in Textiles at Parsons School of Design, NYC, on a Fulbright scholarship (2021). Her work has been exhibited in Scotland and internationally, including Jane Lombard Gallery, L’Space Gallery, Mana Contemporary, The Royal Scottish Academy, and New York Textile Month.

How the Award Helped

Support from the Dewar Arts Award enabled Erin to finance an enclosed studio space and acquire essential tools for her practice. By purchasing a Saori floor loom, Erin is able to produce more ambitious textile work at a larger scale than with handmade tools at home. The studio also provides the space needed for lengthy dyeing and weaving processes.

Since the Award

In 2024, Erin presented her first solo show ‘The Time Between The Lights’ at The Briggait in Glasgow.

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The Dewar Arts Award has provided vital funding to set up my studio in the Scottish Highlands and purchase essential weaving tools. I would like to sincerely thank the committee for all their encouragement and support.

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2022 Awardee: Haneen Hadiy

"This award has been a privilege and opportunity to pursue a dream. The award has fully supported me in conducting a solo exhibition in Iraq to reveal my work to the people of my homeland. My years of practice in the making have been immensely involved in my Iraqi culture therefore, an opportunity to visually present my creations in the land of Iraq is a huge successful step forward in my career as a visual artist."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2022
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS:
WEBSITE:https://www.instagram.com/haneenhadiy/
 
 

Biography

Haneen Hadiy was born in Glasgow, Scotland to Iraqi parents in 1999. She started her career as a visual artist at the age of eighteen. Haneen Hadiy has exhibited around Scotland, London, New York and Los Angeles, revealing the unseen attractions of her motherland. In 2018 she organised an exhibition in Glasgow, giving the opportunity for exposure to Iraqi artists living in Iraq. Haneen regularly travels back and forth from Iraq to Scotland to explore her identity within both cultures. When travelling to Iraq, Haneen continuously focuses on revealing the existing scenic attractions of her homeland. Her works are known for their distinctive intimacy and integrity. She continuously experiments through a variety of mediums to explore her family history, cultural heritage, and identity as a diasporic artist.

How the Award Helped

Haneen’s award will support the development and installation of a solo exhibition of her work in Iraq. The exhibition will feature a collection of personal works that address and diminish cultural stereotypes.

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"This award has been a privilege and opportunity to pursue a dream. The award has fully supported me in conducting a solo exhibition in Iraq to reveal my work to the people of my homeland. My years of practice in the making have been immensely involved in my Iraqi culture therefore, an opportunity to visually present my creations in the land of Iraq is a huge successful step forward in my career as a visual artist."

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10 April 2022

Elaine Woo MacGregor shortlisted for Jackson’s Painting Prize 2022

The 2008 Awardee has made the final 42 from 8948 entries

Dewar Awardee Elaine Woo MacGregor has been shortlisted for the Jackson’s Painting Prize 2022 for her painting ‘Portrait of Nan Shepherd: Camping by the Wells of Dee’, making the final 42 from 8948 entries.

Born in Edinburgh and brought up by her traditional Chinese parents, Elaine moved to Glasgow at the age of 18 to study Fine Art at the Glasgow School of Art. She received a Dewar Award in 2008, which supported a Partial Fellowship Artist Residency in the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson in Vermont. Elaine told us that the Award gave her ‘an exciting opportunity to work in a creative environment within the unique New England setting’ and opened up ‘new directions’ for her practice. In 2012, Elaine’s work was displayed as part of Roots to Shoots, an exhibition celebrating ten years of Dewar Arts Awards in the visual and applied arts. Elaine is now based in Linlithgow and works as an Art Tutor at the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Lifelong Learning.

The Jackson’s Painting Prize exists to champion exceptional artworks made by international artists at all points in their careers, with tailored prizes that aim to give successful applicants the exposure and resources to support them in their practice. Elaine’s painting ‘Portrait of Nan Shepherd: Camping by the Wells of Dee’, has made the final 42 from 8948 entries to the competition.

In an interview with the Edinburgh Evening News, Elaine said “The painting was inspired by passages in the book ‘The Living Mountain’ and the life of Nan Shepherd. I was interested in finding out about individual writers’ demeanour and habits, as well as sense of place, and how this shaped their identity and the themes in their work.”

“With the break due to the pandemic, I reflected on what it means to be a creative during these times, our relationships with natural and urban environments and our sense of ‘self’.”

Congratulations Elaine – we are proud to have been part of your journey and wish you all the best in the final! The winner of the Prize will be announced on Wednesday 13 April 2022.

Read Elaine’s Awardee Profile

Read Elaine’s Interview with the Edinburgh Evening News

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Portrait of Nan Shephere by Elaine Woo McGregor
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2020 Awardee: Sonya Smullen

sonya smullen set designer

"I sincerely value the support of the Dewar Arts Awards. It has granted me the possibility to devote myself to my studies at the Wimbledon College of Arts and develop my potential as a theatre maker. Without their support, the reality I live in would still only be a dream."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2020
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Sonya Smullen is a theatre set designer from Glasgow. Whilst studying Music History at the Music School of Douglas Academy, she discovered a love of set design whilst watching operatic performances. Realising that the design of the space can have an extraordinary effect on performer and audience alike, she moved to London to study Theatre Design at The Wimbledon College of Arts.

In November 2020 she was selected as a finalist for the Prague Quadrennial festival for a site specific immersive design proposal of Karel Capek’s Play ‘The White Plague’. Sonya was also chosen to showcase her work in response to the archive of theatre designer Jocelyn Herbert at the National Theatre symposium ‘Staging the Future’ in March 2021.

After being nominated to study abroad, she was accepted by the Weissensee Academy of Art Berlin to spend an academic year on the Fine Arts Stage and Costume Design programme in Germany.

Her studies at Wimbledon have enabled her to follow the aspirations she had while sitting in her lessons in Music History. Looking to the future, she hopes to work across a multidisciplinary platform, collaborating with a variety of artists to find new approaches for theatre making.

How the Award Helped

Her Dewar Arts Award helped Sonya to complete her BA Theatre Design studies at the University of the Arts London.

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sonya smullen set designer

"I sincerely value the support of the Dewar Arts Awards. It has granted me the possibility to devote myself to my studies at the Wimbledon College of Arts and develop my potential as a theatre maker. Without their support, the reality I live in would still only be a dream."

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2019 Awardee: Thomas Cameron

Thomas Cameron

"Receiving a Dewar Arts Award has been very encouraging and will allow me to produce a body of work focusing on the places and people of Glasgow"

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 26
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.thomascameronart.co.uk
 
 

Biography

Thomas is a visual artist who has (so far) lived in Scotland all his life. He has been described by his tutor as having ‘a very particular artistic vision’ which stands out for ‘it’s poetic charge and Romantic referencing’.  Thomas has a fluency in his painting which ‘transforms these otherwise mundane vistas into paintings of subtle beauty’ and a natural facility for drawing that has ‘enabled him to render the things he sees effortlessly’.

Thomas studied Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, and Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Art.

Since graduating, Thomas has continued to develop his skills, and produced a solo exhibition at the Sutton Gallery in Edinburgh. This attracted critical praise for his distinct poetic vision. Thomas received the support of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation on two occasions, which helped to accelerate his career and cement the potential he demonstrated. He is set to become an artist of significance.

Thomas’ paintings stem from an interest in the moments that often go overlooked due to their familiarity. He works with a wide range of subjects and approaches these intuitively. He is drawn to candid moments, domestic scenes, and fleeting moments of beauty in the everyday. His painting focus on atmosphere and often have a suggestion of narrative, like still frames from a film.

How the Award Helped

Thomas received a Dewar Arts Award to enable him to travel and create, as well as to maintain a studio space at Trongate 103 in Glasgow.

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Thomas Cameron

"Receiving a Dewar Arts Award has been very encouraging and will allow me to produce a body of work focusing on the places and people of Glasgow"

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2018 Awardee: Isabelle Thomson

"I am extremely grateful to have received this award...and to work towards my ambitions full time. As an emerging artist, it is very encouraging to know you are being supported."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2018
AGE AT AWARD: 25
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Isabelle is a gifted and idiosyncratic artist, who was born in Inverness and grew up in the Highlands of Scotland.

In 2016, Isabelle graduated from Gray’s School of Art with a First Class BA (Hons) in Painting. Whilst at Gray’s, she was awarded a Cross Trust Vacation Award which she used to travel to Iceland to collect visual research. This trip was the catalyst for her fourth year work and degree show.

After graduating from Gray’s, Isabelle was one of the selected Graduates in Residence at Leith School of Art. At the 2016 Visual Arts Scotland annual exhibition she won the Great Art Award.

In 2018, Isabelle exhibited in London at both the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize in the Mall Galleries and at Fully Awake in the Royal College of Art. She also received an award to undergo one-to-one animation tutorials from Highland Visual Artist & Craft Maker Award Scheme and won a Hope Scott Trust Award to for research in Canada.

Isabelle’s oil paintings often include text and other materials. She paints to understand the value of the wilderness: to reawaken our slow and essential ‘mountain time’.

How the Award Helped

Isabelle received a Dewar Arts Award to enable her to work in a Wasp’s Artist’s Studio in Inverness for a year. This enabled her to build a new body of work from her time in Canada and Scotland, and to further develop the use of animation within her practice, with the aim of using this to apply for a Masters Degree in Fine Art.

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"I am extremely grateful to have received this award...and to work towards my ambitions full time. As an emerging artist, it is very encouraging to know you are being supported."

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2018 Awardee: Ruth Gilmour

"The Dewar Arts Award has provided me with great creative freedom and an ability to experiment with material thoroughly. I am honored to be represented by an organisation admired for supporting the development of young Scottish artists."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2018
AGE AT AWARD: 27
ARTFORMS:
WEBSITE:https://www.ruthelviragilmour.com/
EMAIL:hello@ruthelviragilmour.com
 

Biography

Ruth is a cross-disciplinary artist from Glasgow who works with material alongside a deeply embedded mode of research to challenge conceptions of the body and its sense of place.

After graduating with a first class Honors degree from Glasgow School of Art in 2017 with her project ‘Nothing is Solid’, Ruth was represented at a number of different graduate showcases in the UK and exhibited at North Lands Creative and Ruthin Craft Centre.

Ruth was invited to undertake a 9 month residency at DSKD in Denmark, where she made ‘Material Bodies’, a project that was exhibited at DSKD and later at New Glasgow Society.

In 2018, Ruth was accepted for a Master of Fine Arts in Sweden. She went on to be selected to represent the Academy at The Stockholm Design Week and invited to Milan Design Week to exhibit with Svensk Form.

How the Award Helped

Ruth was nominated for her Award by Jonathan Boyd – her tutor at Glasgow School of Art and a previous Dewar Arts Award recipient. The Award supported Ruth’s studies at the presitigious HDK in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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"The Dewar Arts Award has provided me with great creative freedom and an ability to experiment with material thoroughly. I am honored to be represented by an organisation admired for supporting the development of young Scottish artists."

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2017 Awardee: Tom Joyes

"The Dewar Arts Award gave me the opportunity to deepen my research practice by participating in a focussed migratory design programme in the Netherlands. I'd like to extend my thanks to the trustees for their amazing support of this."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2017
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.tomjoyes.com/
EMAIL:info@tomjoyes.com
 

Biography

Tom is a Glaswegian designer and graduate of Communication Design at the Glasgow School of Art. Working with graphic design, writing and film, his research-driven practice is critically engaged with politics, aesthetics and technology.

In 2016, Tom was nominated for The Glasgow School of Art’s prestigious Newberry Medal and was selected by design magazine It’s Nice That as part of their shortlist of the most influential young design graduates in the UK.

Since then, Tom has spoken and exhibited in Glasgow, London and the Netherlands, notably writing a text about space junk and image archeology for London-based publisher Books From the Future.

In 2017, Tom was offered the opportunity to participate in a pilot MA programme Checkpoints and Chokepoints at ArtEZ Arnhem, Netherlands, exploring the topic of migration in Europe under the tuition of Vinca Kruk (Metahaven). For this, he produced the comic book FUZZY LOGiC Vol.83, described as a ‘technodrama’ about bodies, borders and surveillance set between the layers of global infrastructure.

https://www.instagram.com/born_slippery

How the Award Helped

Tom’s Award supported him in undertaking the experimental, newly-minted post-BA programme ‘Checkpoints and Chokepoints’ at ArtEZ University of The Arts (Arnhem, Netherlands).

FUZZY LOGiC Vol.83

Tom’s portrait by Adam Counihan

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"The Dewar Arts Award gave me the opportunity to deepen my research practice by participating in a focussed migratory design programme in the Netherlands. I'd like to extend my thanks to the trustees for their amazing support of this."

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