Mission Statement
A Portrait of the Artist
“When I first entered
The University of Stirling's 'Crush Hall' many years ago, I felt
overwhelmed by the incredible
work in the Art Collection. I
never thought that one day it
would be my artwork hanging
on those walls.”
– Emma Scott-Smith, 2016
'EVERYTHING THAT IS AND HAS BEEN' solo Exhibition, Crush Hall, Stirling University Art Collection.
Skulls stare out of hollow eye sockets. Bodies are draped with snake-like vines and gargantuan owers. Ribcages, skeletons and internal organs are imposed over dental x-rays.
This might sound like the scene from a horror lm, but it’s actually Stirling alumna Emma Scott-Smith’s kitchen, which doubles up as her art studio. Like all the rooms in Emma’s home, it is bursting from floor to ceiling with huge canvasses, showcasing 20 years of her work as an artist.
Emma, who completed her BSc (Hons) Psychology in 2006, has painted since she was a child and exhibits regularly internationally. Emma, who exhibited her work in the University Art Collection in 2016, now has a piece in the permanent collection 'The Leg Series' (Pathfoot Building, Gallery space J).
For Emma, the Art Collection is important to students’ overall learning experience because of the access to inspiring cultural opportunities every day.
She says: “It takes you by
surprise. You might be sitting
on the stairs between classes,
or eating your lunch by the
loch, and you’re surrounded
by all these amazing artworks.
Sometimes you turn a corner and
suddenly see a beautiful piece.
Only the other day I noticed a
new sculpture on campus and
it reminded me how lucky we
are here to have access to such
exciting art.”
Emma’s forthcoming exhibition within the Art Collection is themed around identity. “It explores letting go of the past and finding peace in our identity now.”
“Having left school
with no qualifications,
I never thought I’d
go to University.
However, I completed a BSc in psychology, MSc in Health psychology (Edinburgh), MPhil and a Teaching Fellow.
At all my graduations, I felt
so happy and amazed that I have been able to combine my passion for art with research”
– Emma Scott-Smith
Visit:
➲www.emmascott-smith.com ➲www.stir.ac.uk/artcol/exhibit
