Aberdeen Art Gallery Awards £4,500 to Local Artists in Latest Round of ‘Micro-Commissions’
Three artists from the North-east of Scotland have been awarded funding from Aberdeen Art Gallery as part of its Micro-commissions programme, a scheme aimed at supporting local creative practitioners. The initiative invites artists to create new works inspired by the Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums’ (AAGM) collection, and this year’s winners, Mary Bourne, Joshua Ekekwe, and Bruce Swanson, will each contribute unique perspectives to the region’s cultural landscape.
With funding totalling £4,500, the new commissions will explore themes of energy, environment, local economy, identity, and representation. These works will eventually become part of the AAGM’s permanent collection, further enriching the gallery’s archive for future generations.
The term "micro-commissions" refers to relatively short-term art commissions, with a development and creation period of up to 12 weeks. This is the fifth round of such awards from Aberdeen Art Gallery and the third to be supported by the Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums. The initiative began following the gallery's success as a joint winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2020, a recognition that came with a financial award to support local artists.
This year saw a record number of submissions from creative practitioners living in AB postcode areas. Applicants were invited to propose works inspired by two key themes:
Energy, Environment, and the Local Economy
Identity and Representation
A selection panel, made up of artists, curators, and representatives from AAGM, reviewed the submissions. The panel included curators Jessica Barrie and Griffin Coe, artist Lynne Hocking, and Rosemary Kaye, Secretary of the Friends of AAGM. After much deliberation, three artists were chosen for the latest round of commissions.
The Artists and Their Proposals
1. Mary Bourne (Award: £2,500)
Mary Bourne is a renowned sculptor and artist with a long career creating public art installations. Based in rural North-east Scotland, her work often reflects the natural environment and human interaction with the landscape. Bourne trained at Edinburgh College of Art and was elected an Academician of the Royal Scottish Academy in 2012 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Sculptors in 2023.
For her micro-commission, Bourne will explore the changes brought about by wind power on the North-east landscape. With wind turbines becoming a familiar sight in Scotland's countryside, her work will likely examine how these structures impact both the physical and cultural environment. This project is particularly relevant given the region's shift from oil and gas dependency to renewable energy as part of the just transition.
2. Joshua Ekekwe (Award: £1,000)
Joshua Ekekwe is a British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist based in Aberdeen. With a degree from Robert Gordon University’s Scott Sutherland School of Architecture, he has honed his creative skills as an illustrator, graphic designer, and artist. His previous collaborations include work with Canon, The Drum, and Aberdeen Performing Arts. Ekekwe's work is known for its playful, bold style, often tackling themes of identity, community, and cultural legacy.
For his micro-commission, Ekekwe will create a portrait series focusing on the duality of growing up in two cultures. Using the concept of school sports day as a metaphor for this experience, his work will address the often under-explored tension of navigating dual identities. Given the increasing focus on representation and inclusivity in art, his work will bring a fresh, personal narrative to the AAGM’s collection.
3. Bruce Swanson (Award: £1,000)
Bruce Swanson is a jeweller and artist based in Aberdeen, whose career path took an unconventional route. After working outside of the art world for much of his life, he pursued a Master’s degree at Gray’s School of Art, graduating in 2018. His practice blends ancient skills with contemporary techniques, using jewellery-making, drawing, painting, and silversmithing to create his art.
Swanson’s micro-commission will see him create a piece of jewellery that reflects Aberdeen’s history as a trading hub. His work will symbolise the city’s long-standing relationship with the North Sea trading economy. By referencing trade, migration, and the flow of goods, Swanson’s project has the potential to tell a rich story about Aberdeen’s past and present as a centre of international commerce.
The new works from Bourne, Ekekwe, and Swanson will be added to the permanent AAGM collection, giving the public a chance to experience new narratives about Aberdeen's landscape, economy, and cultural identity.
Previous works from the micro-commission programme have included pieces like Helen Scaife’s “Rising Pillars of Aberdeen” and Clive Ramage’s “Transformation and Anticipation”, both currently on display in Gallery 15 at Aberdeen Art Gallery. Scaife’s work reflects on rising sea levels and the impact of climate change on Aberdeen, while Ramage’s prints explore the idea that the city's decay can lead to something new and hopeful.
The micro-commission programme is more than just an opportunity for artists to showcase their talent, it’s a reflection of Aberdeen’s cultural and social evolution. The chosen themes of energy, identity, and representation could not be more relevant. As Aberdeen transitions from an oil and gas economy to a renewable energy future, these projects allow local artists to tell stories that resonate with the city's shifting narrative.
The micro-commissions also benefit the local creative economy. By offering financial support to artists, the programme nurtures home-grown talent, encourages community participation in the arts, and preserves local history through visual storytelling. It also provides an essential platform for artists who might not otherwise have the opportunity to produce larger-scale works.
Aberdeen Art Gallery's commitment to supporting local artists through micro-commissions has produced meaningful, community-driven works that reflect the past, present, and future of the city. With this year’s winners, Mary Bourne, Joshua Ekekwe, and Bruce Swanson, taking inspiration from Aberdeen's energy transition, cultural duality, and trading heritage, the resulting art is sure to spark conversations about the region’s identity.
These works will become a permanent part of the city's cultural memory, offering visitors a chance to reflect on themes that affect us all, whether it's navigating multiple cultural identities, observing environmental change, or understanding our shared economic history.
Rising Pillars of Aberdeen (detail) by Helen Scaife © the artist. Commissioned in 2022 by Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums (Aberdeen City Council) with support from the Friends of AAGM.
