UHI fine art graduates celebrated at RSA New Contemporaries 2025

Two University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) fine art graduates have been recognised as some of Scotland’s most promising emerging artists at this year’s prestigious Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) New Contemporaries exhibition.

Anna Charlotta Gardiner, a BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate from UHI Orkney, was awarded the Outer Spaces Scotland Award, securing the use of a large-scale studio space for over a month, along with a £500 bursary. Jennifer Upson, a BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate from UHI Moray, was also recognised, receiving the RSA Adam Bruce Thomson Award of £150.

Anna is a Finnish-Scottish mixed-media performance and installation artist who graduated in 2024. With a background in anthropology, STEM, academic publishing, and community theatre, her practice explores the space between myth and science, the internal and external, and heritage and dreams.

Her installation at the RSA features three beings: Maan Emo, Ilman Emo, and Veden Emo – ‘mothers’ of the earth, air, and water. The work embeds concepts from Finnish mythology into the landscapes of Orkney, creating a poetic dialogue between ancient narratives and contemporary ecological concerns.

Looking back on her journey, Anna said:

“When I started studying art at UHI nearly a decade ago I would have laughed if you had told me I would become a performance and fibre artist. However, looking back I can see how the process of discovery through my studies led me to where I need to be and who I am as an artist. I'm proud of myself for what I have achieved through some very difficult times, and I'm excited to see what unexpected places my art will take me in the future, such as a large studio space in Aberdeen early next year, thanks to Outer Spaces Scotland.”

Jennifer Upson, who studied at Moray School of Art, UHI Moray, was recognised for her work ‘The Necessity of Ruins’. This piece repurposes found materials from her home, reflecting on the themes of renewal and reconstruction in the wake of upheaval.

For this site-specific installation, Jennifer dismantled and reassembled a wooden lathe stripped from her 200-year-old cottage on the Moray Coast, revealing the hidden framework of her home. Once discarded, these architectural fragments find new meaning, reflecting Jennifer’s process-led approach to change, memory, and reconstruction.

Reflecting on her experience, Jennifer said:

"Developing a creative practice has given me the opportunity to find a means of self-expression through process and materiality, and I can look back with gratitude on the challenges that brought me to my art studies with no sense of what lay ahead at that time. The next stage for me will be to make space to develop my studio practice alongside my private counselling practice and to continue to explore the interdisciplinary nature of creative and therapeutic processes."

Jennifer, who describes her studies at Moray School of Art as a ‘turning point’ in her life, was also recognised last year with the Grampian Hospitals Art Trust (GHAT) Graduate Exhibition Award. Her work will be featured in GHAT’s 2025 exhibition programme at the Suttie Arts Space, an arts venue within Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Now in its 16th edition, the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition offers a dynamic platform for Scotland’s most promising art school graduates, providing insight into the themes and techniques shaping contemporary art today. With over sixty exhibitors on display, the event showcases a diverse range of creative perspectives and distinctive styles.

Interested in developing your career in the creative industries? Find out about courses available for September entry: www.uhi.ac.uk/creative