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John Bellany was one of the most significant Scottish painters of the modern era. A Life in Self-Portraiture brings together over 80 autobiographical drawings, paintings, prints and sketchbooks, spanning from the early 1960s until the artist’s death in 2013.

John Bellany was one of the most prolific self-portraitists in history, obsessively documenting his own image throughout his lifetime. This exhibition captures the wide range of works created across different mediums, from carefully observed student studies, to his epic pictorial narratives where he disguised himself in different roles and fantastical characters. The exhibition contains works on loan from public and private collections across the country, including the artist’s estate, many of which have never been seen publicly before.

An accompanying publication includes a foreword by Helen Bellany, plus an essay and interview from exhibition curators’ Bill Hare and Sandy Moffat. Moffat’s account charts his long-term friendship and collaboration with Bellany. 

John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture captures the span of an extraordinary life and career, told through the lens of the artist’s own eyes and the words of the people who knew him best.

 

Event programme

LECTURES

Thursday 31 July, 2pm - 3pm - A Life-Long Friendship

Thursday 14 August, 2pm - 3pm - 'I don't borrow - I steal': John Bellany and the art of Visual Quotation

Thursday 21 August, 2pm - 3pm - Time Will Tell

 

IN CONVERSATION

Thursday 10 July, 2pm - John Bellany:  In Conversation with Bill Hare and Sandy Moffat

 

GALLERY TOURS

Monday 11 August, 2pm - 3pm - Gallery Tour with Curators Bill Hare and Sandy Moffat

Saturday 23 August, 2pm - 3pm - Gallery Tour with Curators Bill Hare and Sandy Moffat

 

DESCRIBED TOURS AND BSL TOURS

Friday 15 August, 11am - 12pm - BSL Interpreted Tour of ‘John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture’

Friday 15 August, 2pm - 3pm - Described tour for the Visually Impaired of 'John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture' 

 

ADULT CREATIVE WORKSHOPS

Saturday 12 July, 10.30am - 3.30pm - Self-Portraiture in Ink and Watercolour

Saturday 9 August, 10.30am - 3.30pm - From Sketchbook to Masterpiece

 

 

 

 

John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture

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