Tighnabruaich Gallery

Tighnabruaich Gallery A gallery model built for artists. From internationally renowned artists to Scotland’s next generation.

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08/09/2026

They are paintings — but they have the presence of objects.

In this short film, Lennox Dunbar RSA talks about the physicality of the works in Surface Tension — and why he has deliberately varied how they are presented.

Some sit unframed and structurally on the wall. Others are traditionally framed, contained within deep boxes or presented in glass cases.

People have even told Lennox, “I love your ceramics.”

But these are paintings.

Painted, constructed and layered, their fragmented surfaces are finally sealed beneath acrylic resin — an act which, for Lennox, somehow says: this work is done.

What struck me this weekend was the reaction from visitors who had already seen the exhibition online. Nothing quite prepared them for the depth, structure and almost architectural quality of these works in person.

There wasn't a single person through the doors who wasn't bowled over by them.

LENNOX DUNBAR RSA — SURFACE TENSION
Until 27 September
Tighnabruaich Gallery
Thursday–Sunday | 10am–5pm

Full exhibition online — link in bio.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so much responsibility hanging an artist’s work.I know exactly why.I have enormous re...
04/09/2026

I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so much responsibility hanging an artist’s work.

I know exactly why.

I have enormous respect for Lennox Dunbar RSA, both as an artist and as a man, and more than anything I want to do the work justice.

The last few days curating and hanging Surface Tension have been quite an emotional experience.

And I’ve been completely bowled over by the work.

There is an architectural quality to it that becomes extraordinary when the works are brought together. They occupy the gallery in a way I hadn't fully anticipated — forms, structures, fragments and surfaces beginning to speak to one another across the space.

I’ve spent days looking at them, moving them, living with them — and I’m still discovering things.

Tonight, I finally stood back.

I’m incredibly proud of this exhibition.

SURFACE TENSION IS NOW LIVE ONLINE.

You can explore the full exhibition now, but I really hope you’ll come and see these works in person. They deserve it.

We open tomorrow, Saturday 5 September, 12–5pm. Everyone is welcome.

LENNOX DUNBAR RSA — SURFACE TENSION
5–27 September 2026
Tighnabruaich Gallery

Online exhibition — https://tiggallery.co.uk/exhibitions/14-lennox-dunbar-rsa-surface-tension-a-major-solo-show-from-one-of-scotland-s/works/

Part of RSA200.

03/09/2026

He exudes greatness.

I wrote those three words about Lennox Dunbar RSA because, after trying to find a more sophisticated way of describing him, I realised they said exactly what I meant.

Lennox has spent more than five decades making, teaching, questioning and contributing to Scottish art.

But a CV doesn't really explain the man.

There is a curiosity about him. A generosity.

An extraordinary knowledge, coupled with a genuine interest in what other people are trying to do.

And then there is the work.

This is where we begin.

Lennox Dunbar RSA: Surface Tension
5–27 September 2026

Tighnabruaich Gallery

Opening Saturday 5 September | 12–5pm

Then Thursday–Sunday | 10am–5pm

Come and spend some time with it.

There are artists whose importance is measured not only by the work they make, but by the artists they help shape around...
28/08/2026

There are artists whose importance is measured not only by the work they make, but by the artists they help shape around them.

Lennox Dunbar RSA is one of those artists.

On 5 September, we open Surface Tension, a major solo exhibition by one of Scotland’s most respected artists and educators.

Lennox studied painting at Gray’s School of Art before working at Peacock Printmakers and returning to Gray’s, where he became Head of Printmaking and later Professor of Fine Art. Today he is Emeritus Professor.

But that biography doesn’t really convey the scale of his influence.

Across more than five decades, Lennox has been part of the fabric of Scottish contemporary art — making, teaching, questioning and helping generations of artists find their own visual language.

Personally, I find it difficult to put into neat gallery language.

He exudes greatness.

Not loudly. Not through celebrity. Through presence, knowledge, curiosity and a lifetime spent taking art seriously.

And the work?

Some of it challenges me, I think that’s worth saying.

These aren’t works designed to make themselves immediately understood. Lennox builds, dismantles, layers, removes and rebuilds. Painting, collage, found forms, marks and fragments come together through intuition, experience and chance.

His work asks you to spend time with it. To look. And sometimes to accept that not understanding something immediately is precisely the point.

That’s why we want to show it.

If we’re serious about bringing important contemporary Scottish art to Tighnabruaich, we can’t only put work on the walls that is easy.

We need to create space for work that asks something of us.

Surface Tension does exactly that.

I collect the exhibition from Lennox on Monday. Over the coming weeks, I’ll take you inside the work, the ideas behind it and, importantly, the man who made it.

LENNOX DUNBAR RSA — SURFACE TENSION
5–27 September 2026
Tighnabruaich Gallery

Come and see it in person. Look closely. Spend time with it. Make up your own mind.

That’s what galleries should be for, is it not.

One last post, and that’s a wrap on Tim Sandys’ solo show Distribution.What a show it has been.Hugely enjoyable from sta...
17/08/2026

One last post, and that’s a wrap on Tim Sandys’ solo show Distribution.

What a show it has been.

Hugely enjoyable from start to finish, and incredibly well received by visitors and collectors alike. A massive thank you to everyone who came through the doors, spent time with the work, shared it, talked about it and, of course, took pieces home.

And a special thank you to Tim himself. A consummate professional, a brilliant artist and simply a joy to work with. We are hugely grateful to have had Distribution here at Tighnabruaich Gallery.”

Now, we turn the page.

Next up is Lennox Dunbar RSA — Surface Tension, opening at Tighnabruaich Gallery on Saturday 5th September.

We’re already looking forward to this one.

Hope to see you there.

14/08/2026

There’s always a strange feeling when a show comes to an end.

I’ve just taken my phone around the gallery for a final tour of Distribution — talking through some of the paintings and the work that has really caught me over the last few weeks.

I’ve really loved this show. I always do, and its always hard and emotional when its coming to an end.

You spend so much time with the work when you’re putting an exhibition together, and then once it’s here, you become attached to it. You see the paintings every day. You talk about them, watch people respond to them, and you get to know them in a different way.

So the last weekend always comes with a bit of sadness for me.

But that’s also what I love about the gallery.

One exhibition ends, and almost immediately there’s something else to look forward to.

Distribution is with us for one final weekend, so if you’ve been meaning to come and see it, this is your last chance.

The work is also available to view and buy online.

And then we move on.

Lennox Dunbar RSA opens on 5 September, followed by another SCCOCO group exhibition on 10 October.

And after that, we’ll be opening the doors again for the Secret Coast Prize for Fine Art — our next big open call, bringing together artists at every stage, across all mediums.

There’s a lot coming.

And while I’m sad to see Distribution go, I’m genuinely so excited about the work that’s already waiting in the wings.

So, one last weekend of Distribution. I will be sad to see it go!

Thank you to everyone who has visited, collected and engaged with this stunning body of work.

📍 Tighnabruaich Gallery
🌐 www.tiggallery.co.uk

11/08/2026

FINAL WEEKEND OF DISTRIBUTION.

There is something different about seeing Tim Sandys’ work in the gallery.

It’s the light. The depth. It's ability to speak to your subconscious.

This is your final opportunity to visit Distribution at Tighnabruaich Gallery, before the exhibition closes on Sunday 16 August.

Open Thursday–Sunday, 10am–5pm.

And if you can’t make it to Argyll, you can still own a piece.

The exhibition is available to view and purchase online, wherever you are.

Come and experience it in the gallery.

Or discover the collection online and find the piece that speaks to you.

📍 Tighnabruaich Gallery
📅 Final day: Sunday 16 August
⏰ Thursday–Sunday, 10am–5pm
🖼️ Distribution — Tim Sandys

Explore the exhibition online at "tiggallery.co.uk"

10/08/2026

Before we started filming, I mentioned to Tim that Distribution 18 immediately made me think of a particular high-rise block at George’s Cross in Glasgow.

It turns out Tim walks past those flats every day, on his way from home to the studio.

The painting isn’t of those flats. There was no photograph pinned to the wall. No conscious attempt to represent that building.

And yet, would the painting exist in quite the same way if Tim hadn’t passed those flats, day after day?

Probably not.

That gets to something fascinating about Tim’s Distribution series.

The starting point is data.

Tim takes information and uses it to establish the underlying structure of the painting — a set of parameters from which the work can develop. There is logic underneath it. A system. Something measurable and real.

But then painting takes over.

Colour, surface, shape, instinct and the accumulated visual memory of living and working in a city begin to complicate that original information.

The result sits somewhere between abstraction and representation.

You can look at these works purely as abstract paintings — relationships between colour, form, rhythm and space.

But then something catches.

A tower block. A window. A skyline. A piece of architecture you could swear you recognise.

Perhaps you do.

Or perhaps the painting is simply giving your own visual memory enough space to complete the picture.

That moment with Distribution 18 stayed with me because it revealed something about the work that is difficult to explain until you spend time with it.

The data might provide the starting point.

But life still finds its way into the painting.

Watch Tim talk about how the Distribution series develops, and the space he deliberately leaves between what can be measured and what we think we see.

What do you see in Distribution 18?

07/08/2026

Some paintings don't just sit beside one another. They challenge each other.

In this short clip, I talk about the relationship between Distribution 17 and Distribution 18, which hang side by side, and how together they stand in opposing Distribution 19 across the room.

It's a reminder that an exhibition isn't simply a collection of individual works. It's a conversation. The relationships between paintings can shift how we see each one, creating new meanings that only emerge when they're experienced together.

This is just one of many conversations carefully curated throughout the exhibition.

Going into our second last weekend, this is an exhibition that deserves to be experienced in person.

If you can't make it to Tighnabruaich, every work in the exhibition is available to view online via the link in our bio.

31/07/2026

There are moments when a gallery simply feels right.

That little bell above the door rings every time someone walks in. I still smile when I hear it.

Welcome to Distribution — a solo exhibition by at Tighnabruaich Gallery.

For the first time, we've been able to give an artist the space a significant solo exhibition deserves. Distribution brings together 18 paintings, centred on Tim's celebrated Distribution series, alongside connected works that reveal the depth and evolution of his practice.

I'm genuinely delighted with this exhibition.

It's a chance to experience the work as a complete body, where each painting strengthens the next and the conversation unfolds as you move through the gallery.

If you can make the journey to Tighnabruaich, we'd love to welcome you through the door.

If you can't, the exhibition is open online too. Every available work can be explored in detail and collected from wherever you are.

Whether you visit in person or online, I hope you enjoy discovering Tim's remarkable work as much as we've enjoyed bringing this exhibition together.

Explore the exhibition via the link in our bio.

📍 Tighnabruaich Gallery, Argyll's Secret Coast

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Tighnabruaich
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