Tag: Portrait Gallery

You know Who joins Scotland’s national collection!

Portrait of Ncuti Gatwa goes on display 

A vibrant and captivating portrait of the newest Doctor Who star, Ncuti Gatwa by photographer Robert Wilson has joined Scotland’s spectacular national collection of art.

This charismatic photograph of the famed actor joins other notable Scottish figures in the National Galleries of Scotland’s permanent collection, including former Doctors, Peter Capaldi and David Tennant. The artwork is now on display and free to view at National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait.

Ncuti Gatwa is instantly recognisable from his engaging performances in Doctor Who, as Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy series Sex Education (2019–23) and in Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking film Barbie (2023). Gatwa has been nominated at the BAFTA TV Awards for Best Male Comedy Performance three years in a row and has won a BAFTA Scotland award (2020). Made in March 2020,

Wilson described Gatwa as ‘a photographer’s dream to work with; friendly, expressive and giving’. Photographed in a colourful yellow suit, mid-laugh, the portrait captures Gatwa’s magnetic personality.

Born in Rwanda, Gatwa arrived in Scotland at just two years old in 1994 with his family as a refugee fleeing a genocide, as Rwanda was embroiled in a civil war. He grew up in Edinburgh and Dunfermline and went on to graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2013.

It was his award-winning appearance as queer teenager Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy series Sex Education that firmly launched his career and quickly cemented his position as an audience favourite.

Having spoken out about how powerful and necessary representation is, Gatwa’s role in Sex Education explored complex issues around Black, queer and religious identity. In May 2022, he was announced as the next lead in the cult BBC series Doctor Who, with the New York Times calling him ‘a Doctor Who for the 21st century’. Gatwa is the fourth Scottish, and the first Black and openly queer, actor to star in this role.

Robert Wilson (born 1969, London) is an acclaimed commercial and portrait photographer whose sitters have included major figures in a wide range of fields, including actors Dames Judi Dench and Joan Collins, sport stars Mo Farah and Venus Williams and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan, to name a few. 

His work has evolved to lifestyle, sports and documentary style projects and is recognised for its accessibility and depth for revealing humanity. Wilson was also a war artist for the British Army, firstly documenting the people and places within Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and later the withdrawal of the British troops and the deconstruction of the war machine.

His unique and emotional portraits are exhibited in galleries across the UK, with this portrait the latest to join a national collection.

Anne Lyden, National Galleries of Scotland Director-General, said: “It is exciting to see this dynamic portrait of the hugely talented actor and style icon Ncuti Gatwa enter the national collection.

“Gatwa joins the ranks of previous Doctors already in our collection, and we look forward to welcoming fans of the new Doctor Who when they visit to see this stunning photograph by Robert Wilson on our Portrait gallery walls.”

Robert Wilson, said: “Ncuti was an absolute joy to photograph. We were shooting several of the nominated candidates for the BAFTA awards that day, which happened to be the second to last day before the country went into lockdown due to Covid. 

“The atmosphere on set was a little strange due to the various health precautions that were taking places and the impending thought of a lockdown. But, despite the slightly surreal atmosphere, Ncuti gave me a complete range of poses and expressions, from humorous, to serious, to melancholic.

“Within 15 minutes I had shot 224 beautiful frames, any one of which could probably have been used for the feature. He is a true professional, and I think we managed to capture his warm personality brought to the shoot that day.”

Major artwork Unknown Man secured for the people of Scotland

Ken Currie’s Unknown Man, a portrait of the preeminent forensic anthropologist, Professor Dame Sue Black, has been acquired by the National Galleries of Scotland.

This arresting portrait has been on long loan to the gallery since 2021 but has now been secured for the nation permanently. This acquisition ensures the continued enjoyment of this poignant work, currently available to view for free at the Portrait gallery.  

Unknown Man depicts one of the most distinguished, internationally famous contemporary Scots, Professor Black. Currie’s large-scale painting shows her in surgical robes standing behind the covered remains of a body. 

The idea for the portrait grew when Currie and Professor Black met during a BBC Radio 4 discussion on the relationship between art and anatomy.

Currie later visited the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, where Professor Black was Director. The artist was so moved by the work he encountered there that he asked her to sit for a portrait. 

The title Unknown Man was given by Currie and relates to the essential aim of a forensic anthropologist – to identify remains and restore the identity of the deceased – while also referencing the covered body depicted in the painting.

Currie bestows Professor Black with the qualities of impassivity and sternness in his portrait. She stands, stock still and full-face, arms spread equally, holding the trolley before her. Professor Black wears dull blue scrubs and before her, under the dark green shroud, is stretched the most minimal or rudimentary indication of the corpse – which could be said to be the attribute of her profession. 

Artist Ken Currie (born 1960) is renowned for his unsettling portrayal of the human figure, often large-scale, dramatic canvasses of startling originality.

His work prompts powerful responses as he deals with difficult, profound themes through figurative paintings which are carefully considered and painstakingly executed.

Currie’s subjects often emerge from darkness, suggesting fearful dramas which are all the more disturbing because so much is suggested but not explicitly articulated. 

Currie also has another much-loved work in the national collection, Three Oncologists. This 2002 painting depicts three professors who were leading innovators in cancer research at the University of Dundee and its affiliated teaching hospital, Ninewells.

It shows the three, emerging from the darkness as modern-day heroes, battling on our behalf on the front line between life and death. Currie regards Unknown Man as being connected to Three Oncologists, and a progression from this work. 

With both works currently on display in The Modern Portrait exhibition, visitors have a special opportunity to experience both in the same space. Unknown Man gives rise to strong feelings and emotions. Professor Black had a visibly emotional reaction when she saw the painting for the first time in 2021. 

Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said: “We are delighted to have acquired this powerful and moving work which has already generated a lot of interest and comment from our visitors. 

“The Portrait gallery provides the perfect setting for this outstanding painting which now has a permanent home alongside other images of pioneers in the fields of science, sport and the arts.”

Professor Sue Black, said: “It was such a wonderful experience to work with Ken and I am so grateful that the portrait has been so well received even if it is a bit scary!

“I feel honoured that this has been acquired by the National Galleries of Scotland and secured for the nation permanently. It all feels more than a little surreal.”

Ken Currie, said: “I am delighted that Unknown Man has been acquired by the National Galleries of Scotland and will continue to hang in the Portrait gallery where it will hopefully inspire a new generation of young women to follow in the illustrious footsteps of Sue Black.”

Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund, said: “I’m so pleased that Art Fund has been able to support the National Galleries of Scotland to acquire this important painting.

“I am sure that it will continue to delight and inspire visitors to the Portrait gallery for many years to come.”

National Galleries of Scotland celebrates the evolution of photography and the impact of architecture in new exhibition

Making Space: Photographs of Architecture

Making Space: Photographs of Architecture

National Galleries Scotland: Portrait

7 October 2023 – 3 March 2024

Free Entry

Making Space | Photographs of Architecture | National Galleries of Scotland

Mark Havens

Take a visual journey through the history of architecture and explore the connection between people, places and photography in the National Galleries of Scotland’s new exhibition, Making Space: Photographs of Architecture. 

Opening yesterday at the Portrait gallery in Edinburgh, the exhibition focuses on one of the most enduring themes in the story of photography: architecture. With over 40 photographs from the 1840s to the present day to see, Making Space is the fourth instalment in a popular series of free exhibitions which explores the richness of Scotland’s national photography collection.

Generously supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, and awarded funds by Postcode Culture Trust, Making Space not only considers the integral role of architecture in the history of photography, but also how buildings impact everyday life. Architecture has the power to tackle inequality, address social issues including homelessness, poverty and displacement, and even create a more sustainable future; key themes considered throughout the exhibition.

Visually engaging and physically static, buildings were the perfect subjects for early photography, with the evolving built landscape continuing to inspire photography enthusiasts today.

From the dawn of its invention to new techniques of today, Making Space spans the breadth of photographic history. The exhibition invites visitors to peer through the camera lens and uncover a diverse range of photographic styles, formats and processes.

From Hill & Adamson’s early experiments on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill to spectacular contemporary photographs which capture the breathtaking scale of modern buildings.

Standout modern works include Andreas Gursky’s San Francisco which goes on display at the Portrait for the first time since its acquisition in 1999. Deliberately disorientating, Gursky uses digital manipulation to challenge perception, with humans often appearing insignificant and dominated by their built environment.

The exhibition also features three key loans from Tate, including work by renowned photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, Candida Höfer and Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Chris Leslie

Making Space introduces several acquisitions made by National Galleries of Scotland in recent years, including six works from Scottish photographer Chris Leslie’s Disappearing Glasgow series and a further six from Canadian born Sylvia Grace Borda’s project exploring modernist architecture in East Kilbride. 

Untitled (Rosemary and Ocean) and Untitled (Sweetbriar and Atlantic) by Philadelphia based photographer Mark Havens round off the new acquisitions, with his colourful works gifted to National Galleries Scotland in 2019.

The social history of Scotland plays a central role within Making Space, with some of the earliest work providing a window into Scotland’s past, and more recent work tackling the issues of today.

Historic highlights include David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson’s photographs from the early 1840’s, depicting the construction of Edinburgh’s Sir Walter Scott Monument. These iconic images not only record the birth of one of the Scottish capital’s most recognisable manmade features, but also provide the first known photographic documentation of a building site.

Thomas Annan

Heading west to Glasgow, Thomas Annan’s The Old Closes and Streets of Glasgow series offers a 19th century view on what could also be considered a 21st century problem – the housing crisis.

In documenting the overpopulation in the east end of the city, Annan used photography to highlight inequality and push for change. This collection of photographs is now recognised as pivotal to documentary photography, offering visitors insight into an important moment in history.

Linking historic photographs to the present day are a wide variety of contemporary works from across Scotland. Picking up where Thomas Annan left off, albeit over a century later, Leslie’s Disappearing Glasgow series documents stories from the people on the frontline of the city’s extensive demolition and regeneration programme.

Following years of decline, Glasgow’s Red Road Flats were eventually demolished in 2013, with former residents watching from the sidelines. The building’s demise and subsequent social impact have been carefully recorded by Leslie.

At the other end of the spectrum, the work of Sylvia Grace Borda tackles the evolving nature of architecture and the ways in which it can be used to improve society. Designed in 1947 and widely considered one of the most complete Modernist towns in the UK, East Kilbride was constructed to relieve pressure from an overpopulated Glasgow.

A visual record of the town was created by Borda between 2005-2017, highlighting not only the modern architecture, but the green spaces, integrated public services and homes flooded with natural light, showing what architectural design can achieve when the needs of people are at its heart.

Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said: “This continued series of free exhibitions at the Portrait Gallery is a fantastic way to explore the history of photography though the richness and diversity of the national collection.

“Making Space: Photographs of Architecture presents an opportunity to not only marvel in the evolution of photography, but also consider the impact our built environment has on society, health, and sustainability.

“We are proud to present several new acquisitions by contemporary photographers from Scotland and beyond, displayed for the first time alongside work by the trailblazers who inspired them.”

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Architecture impacts us in ways we don’t often realise – the built environment around us affects how we feel.

“Our players have raised over £5 million in funding for the National Galleries of Scotland. I’m delighted that this money means exhibitions like Making Space are free for everyone to enjoy and learn more about architecture and how it impacts people’s lives across Scotland.”

Making Space: Photographs of Architecture opened at the Portrait yesterday on Saturday 7 October.