Andrew Cranston
Andrew Cranston (b. 1969, Hawick, Scotland) culls his paintings’ narrative vignettes from his personal history as well as artistic and anecdotal sources. As the artist notes, “The paintings are based on experience, but so many other things get woven in—other paintings, scenes from films, and real places that are there in front of you, but also places remembered.” Through their layers of luminous paint and dreamlike renderings of everyday scenes, his darkly humorous compositions recall Post-Impressionists such as Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard. Cranston often uses hardback book covers as painting supports, at times leaving their original spines exposed and re-texturing their surfaces with lush layers of oil or acrylic. He lives in Glasgow.
Recent solo exhibitions include Karma, Los Angeles (2024); The Hepworth Wakefield, England (2023); Ingleby Gallery, London (2023); Modern Art, London (2022); The Royal Academy of Arts, London (2022); Karma, New York (2021); and Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh (2018). Cranston’s work is represented in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; He Art Museum, Shunde, China; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh; Pinault Collection, France; Portland Art Museum, Oregon; Royal College of Art, London; Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh; and Tate, London, among others.
Born 1969, Hawick, United Kingdom
Lives in Glasgow, United Kingdom
EDUCATION
1996
MA in Painting, Royal College of Art, London
1993
BA (Honors) in Fine Art, Grays School of Art, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
1990
Diploma in Art and Design, Manchester Polytechnic, United Kingdom
Selected Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions
2024
Modern Art, Paris, Thoughts from under the floorboards
Karma, Los Angeles, One day this will be a long time ago
Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow, UK, Andrew Cranston: Etchings
2023
The Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK, Andrew Cranston: What made you stop here?
Ingleby Gallery, London, Never a joiner
2022
Modern Art, London, If you see something that doesn’t look right
2021
Ingleby Gallery, London, Andrew Cranston and Lorna Robertson: Faces in the Water
Karma, New York, Waiting for the Bell
2018
Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, But the dream had no sound
2017
Anthony Wilkinson Gallery, London, If I were a carpenter and other stories
2016
Look Again: Visual Art and Design Festival, Aberdeen, United Kingdom, Henderson Blyth’s Drawer
Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Paintings from a room
Upper Church Gallery, Summerhall, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2015
Rob Tufnell, London, Book Launch: Who is this who is coming?
2014
Display Gallery, London, Who is this who is coming?
2013
Hamish Morrison Galerie, Berlin, What to do after a death in Scotland
Upper Hope Park Church Gallery, Summerhall, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Who is this who is coming?
Hawick Museum, United Kingdom, Walter, do you remember?
2010
Hamish Morrison Galerie, Berlin, Im Büro
2009
International Project Space, Bournville College, Birmingham, United Kingdom, What a Man does in the Privacy of His Own Attic is His Affair
School of Art, Aberdeen, United Kingdom, (In)Visible Grays
2008
Royal Academy, London, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Foyer Gallery, Aberdeen, United Kingdom, New Work
2002
Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield, United Kingdom, Mappin Open Solo Show
Glasgow Project Room, Glasgow, United Kingdom, A Narrative Driven By Shape
2000
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Stoorsooker
1998
Intermedia Gallery, Glasgow, United Kingdom, The Happy Hunting Ground (Part 2)
Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen, United Kingdom, The Happy Hunting Ground
1997
Long and Ryle Art International, London, New Work
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025
Ingleby, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Wings of a Butterfly
2024
GRIMM, Amsterdam, Swimming, curated by Russell Tovey
City Art Centre, Edinburgh, POP LIFE
RSA, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Frontiers: Painting in Scotland Now
70 Main Street, Thomaston, Maine, A Particular Kind of Heaven
Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden, United Kingdom, Ghosts in Sunlight, organized by Rory Mitchell
Studio Voltaire, London, XXX
Drawing Room, London, Drawing Biennial 2024
2023
Ingleby, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Twenty-Five
The Foundation Carmignac, Ile de Porquerolles, France, The Inner Island
GRIMM, Amsterdam, The Painted Room, curated by Caroline Walker
Modern Art, London, The Moth and The Thunderclap, curated by Simon Grant
2022
Margot Samel, New York, To be a giant and keep quiet about it
The Royal Academy, London, Summer Exhibition
2021
Ingleby at Cromwell Place, London, Faces in the Water
Modern Art, London, On Leaving
Adams and Ollman, Portland, Oregon, Dear John
2020
Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, HOME
Karma, New York, (Nothing but) Flowers
2019
Sipgate Shows, Düsseldorf, Brexit: Mail Art from a Small Island
Le Bel Ordinaire, Pau, France, Du Coq À L’âne
Jerwood Gallery, Hastings, United Kingdom, Painters Beach Club: Telescope
2018
Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, TWENTY
J Hammond Projects, London, Zeros to Heroes: The Beta Band Archive
2016
Karma, New York, Outside; curated by Matthew Higgs
Feldbuschweisner Galerie, Berlin, The secret life of spaces
Polarcap Contemporary Art Projects, Dunbar, United Kingdom, Now Now
Towner Gallery, Eastbourne, United Kingdom, Towards Night
Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow, Trigger Words
2014
Mac Arts Centre, Belfast, Mac International Open
Lion and Lamb Gallery, London, Enclosures, Elsewhere
2013
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Between the Late and Early
Satis House, Belfast, Long they look and deeply
2012
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, United Kingdom, John Moores Painting Prize
Second Guest Projects and Ana Christea Gallery, New York, Dorian Gray
2011
Duff House, Banff, United Kingdom, Hurricane Lamb
Norwich Gallery, United Kingdom, Courtesy of Objects (guest artist in Marc Camille Chaimowitz exhibition)
Fleming Collection, London, Summer Exhibition
2010
Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Prints of Darkness
2009
Norwich Gallery, United Kingdom, EAST International
2008
Intermedia Gallery, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow, United Kingdom, This Dark Ceiling
Ute Parduhn Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany, Interieur
2007
Norwich Gallery, United Kingdom, EAST International
Crane Arts Centre, Philadelphia, Digital VD
Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, D.C.A., Dundee
2006
Atelier Am Eck, Düsseldorf, Germany, The Overlooked Atelier
2003
Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno, United Kingdom, Oriel Mostyn 13
Rockwell, London, Sometime Blonde
Galerie Wozownia, Torun, Poland, Albatross: Scottish Artists at Galeria Sztuki Wozownia
2000
Cabinet Gallery, London, The Poster Show
1999
Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh,United Kingdom, In the Summertime
Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York, The Poster Show
1996
Thames Valley University, London, Bad Reproduction
Galerie Poo-Poo, London, Winkle; curated by BANK
1995
The Curve Gallery, Barbican Centre, London, Interim
1993
Institute Francais, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Project Georges Perec
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
The Bunker Collection
George Economou Collection
Hall Art Foundation, Massachusetts
Hawick Museum, Hawick, UK
He Art Museum, Shunde, China
Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
Loewe Foundation, Paris
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK
Royal College of Art, London
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
Unilever Collection, UK
LECTURES, HONORS, & AWARDS
2015
Visual Arts Award, Hope Scott Trust, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2014
The Arts Foundation Fellowship for Painting, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2013
Quality Arts Production Award, Creative Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2012
Special Jury Recognition for excellence in Poster Design (for short film ‘Pitch Black Heist’), South by Southwest Film Festival, Austin, Texas
2009
Artists Award, Scottish Arts Council, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2008
Creative Development Award, Scottish Arts Council, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2006
WASPS/Dusseldorf Artists’ Exchange, Residency, Düsseldorf, Germany
Rootstein Hopkins Sabbatical Award for Lecturers, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
2001
Mappin Open Solo Show Award, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield, United Kingdom
2000
Alastair Salvesen Art Scholarship, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
1999
Small Assistance Grant, Scottish Arts Council, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
1995
Erasmus+ Travel Award to Vienna, European Commission, Brussels
1993
John Kinross Travelling Scholarship to Florence, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
NatWest Prize for Art, NatWest, London
PUBLICATIONS
2024
Andrew Cranston
5b, Glasgow
112 pages
6 3⁄4 × 4 1⁄2 inches
2023
Never A Joiner
Ingleby Gallery/Anomie Publishing
184 pages, hardcover
9 3⁄4 × 8 inches
2021
Waiting for the Bell
Ingleby Gallery/Karma, New York
344 pages, hardcover
11 × 10 1⁄4 inches
2018
But the dream had no sound
Andrew Cranston, Peter Doig
Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh
164 pages, hardback
19.5 x 24.5 cm
2016
Henderson Blyth’s Drawer
Andrew Cranston
The Gatehouse, Robert Gordon University / Look Again Visual Art and Design Festival, Aberdeen
2015
Andrew Cranston, Who is this who is coming?
Andrew Cranston, Liza Dimbleby
Aye-Aye Books, Glasgow
80 pages, hardback
23.7 x 21.5 cm
