EXHIBITIONS
Quarterly exhibitions of remarkable art from our featured contemporary artists and our esteemed Collection.
CURRENTLY ON
Bright Young Things
31 July - 10 September 2023
After education impacted by the pandemic and a season of isolation and suffering, young artists within the UK are responding with engaging works bursting with life. This revival following restriction has led to the emergence of “bright young things”—artists providing glimmers of hope and exuberance, daring to experiment with the mundane. A catchphrase originally coined in the decadent 1920s, Bright Young Things is a fitting title, one hundred years later, to catalogue the vibrant creative endeavours of rising stars like Mary Bowen, Finn Fallowfield, Ben Johnston, Magda Michalak, and Katherine Benson. These five artists, spanning the mediums of painting and sculpture, are the voice of a new generation.
PAST EXHIBITION
Three Graces
20 April - 20 June 2023
To welcome spring, BirdsNest will be presenting the stunning work of women artists with connections to Florence and traditional Italian painting. Drawing inspiration from Botticelli's famed masterpiece Primavera, this exhibition, featuring art by Florence Academy-trained Phoebe Stewart Carter and Emma Hope Shane, in addition to women from our Collection, will dazzle and delight.
PAST EXHIBITION
Kimono Reinvented
15 November - 22 December 2022
Scientist-turned-artist Iain Wilson uses the kimono as a gateway to artistic exploration in Kimono Reinvented. With a lifelong love of Japanese culture, Iain builds a bridge between East and West as he explores motifs of theatre, mythology, and history. The bold paintings of his painterly debut are unlike any others.
PAST EXHIBITION
Golden Reflections
15 November - 22 December 2022
An ode to Japan, Golden Reflections meditates on the principle of wabi-sabi—a school of thought finding beauty in imperfection. Featuring jewellery by Emiko Suo and Miki Asai, this stunning display invites viewers to pause and seek stillness. Artist Jo Perkins also contributes, whose colour palette is deeply influenced by Japan.
PAST EXHIBITION
A Touch of Magic
15 November - 22 December 2022
This selection of works will haunt your imagination, providing a glimpse into Gothic sensibility. With unconventional art contemplating the mysteries of life and death, we are honoured to present a range of works by Robert Powell, Mr J, Lucy Hatton, Mary Bowen, and Andrei Bludov at the Edinburgh Art Fair.
Curio
9 Aug- 18 Sep 2022
Curio highlighted gems from our Collection, mindful of the origin of museums and galleries as Wunderkammern ("curiosity cabinets"). The curiosity cabinet originated during the Italian Renaissance, marking the beginning of showcasing an arranged collection of rare objects and absurdities. Curio endeavoured to reclaim the relative informality and abundance of this original mode of display, offering food for thought and a feast for the eyes.
A Woman's Touch
15 Mar - 14 May 2022
A celebration of works by extraordinary female artists. Over 25 brilliant paintings and sculptures were displayed, including art by Barbara Rae, Victoria Crowe, Hilda Goldwag, and Elizabeth Blackadder. These works were contrasted with visual art from the male gaze, created by John Bellany, Andrew Fitzpatrick, John Houston, and others.
Colin Sutherland: Just Here's Fine
28 Jan - 26 Feb 2022
Colin Sutherland is an Edinburgh-based artist who concocts otherworldly photographic narratives, which invite and reward speculation upon revisitation. This exhibition explored Sutherland's ability to immortalise unique moments in time.
Scenes to Admire: Landscapes
30 Nov - 18 Dec 2021
Throughout the ages, artists have portrayed the landscape in a real, ideal, or subjective manner. It has been often used as a poetic metaphor to express their innermost feelings. This exhibition offered a thought-provoking view of landscape art through paintings by Barbara Rae, David Gauld, Neil Dallas Brown, Victoria Crowe, etc.
​Colin Hay: The Magic Before Dawn
12 Oct - 20 Nov 2021
This exhibition reflected different periods in artist Colin Hay's life beginning in the early 90s, providing a glimpse of a man of piercing observation and great imagination. His stunning, often sensual imagery in his paintings stems from his highly retentive visual memory.
Flaming June
14 Jun - 17 Jul 2022
Named after Frederic Leighton's iconic painting, our Flaming June exhibition captured a similar sense of bliss. We featured artworks by MaryAnne Hunt and Andrew Fitzpatrick, focusing on motifs of love and the spaces that confine or liberate us.
More Scenes to Admire! : Landscapes II
28 Jan - 26 Feb 2022
Our original Scenes to Admire! exhibition was so popular that we decided to refresh our exhibition of landscapes with several spectacular recent acquisitions.
Sculpture Trail
28 Jan - 26 Feb 2022
For this special interactive exhibition, we scattered our finest sculptures throughout our gallery space, uniting works by Jake Harvey, Walter Awlson, Simon Burns-Cox, Eduardo Paolozzi, and more.
Colin Sutherland: Beautifully Astray
30 Nov - 18 Dec 2021
Sutherland transports the viewer from the mundanity of life into a world of vibrant colour and emotion.
Landscapes are always changing: sometimes seismically, other times minutely. Either way, the change shifts our perception of the places we know and love. This collection of art redefines how landscape art is conventionally perceived.
