Thomson is a full-time artist inspired by Scotland and Japan, his city-centre Glasgow studio has been a base for working further afield. Exhibiting since age 18 and graduating from GSA in 2002, his practice has widened from landscape/figurative to abstraction, photography and installation encompassing a poetic approach and interests from Scotland beyond.
He has exhibited as well as curated mixed and solo shows in the UK and abroad, artwork has been collected worldwide privately and in business collections such as McKinsey & Co. and Scottish Widows.
He has tutored various workshops at his studio, where his aim is to inspire and widen student's creativity. Regular visits to Japan began in 2002, when he began studying Sho with calligrapher Shujo Wakabayashi, then in his eighties.
Thomson exhibited with him and other Asian artists in 09 and the next year represented the UK at the ART/X/TOYAMA International Exhibition. He had been on the committee of the Royal Glasgow Institute arts organisation and is a meditator, trustee and sometimes Tenzo at Glasgow Zen Group.
Please check his 'Sketchbook Notes' blog for interests, inspiration and recent info and projects.Born Scotland 1980Spacious fields of colour and spontaneous, graceful brushstrokes create an irresistible Zen-like calm.
His inspirations come from his interest in all things Japanese, but the main source of his abstract imagery is Scottish landscape…bridges, crumbling piers and disintegrating shipwrecks.
Article by Lucy Sweet, Homes and Interiors Scotland February 2004.
STUDY: Glasgow School of Art Painting Department 1998-‘02, BA(hons) Fine Art
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
2008 Glasgow Art Fair, representing Scotlandart.com and John Green Fine Art
Sophie Montgomery Art, London (featured artist)
‘New Faces to Glasgow Art Club’, mixed exhibition
‘Offshore’, Scotlandart.com, two-man sho
2007 Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, 'Highland'New York Affordable Art Fair with Flying Colours Gallery, LondonRGI Annual Exhibition, prizes for 'Rhythms Kilcreggan'
Winter Exhibition, House for an Art Lover, Glasgow
2006 Scotlandart.com, ‘Abstract Exhibition’
Sophie Montgomery Art London, wall of six works
Glasgow Art Fair, representing John Green Fine Ar
Third Step Gallery solo show ‘In Time with the Wind
2005 London Affordable Art Fair with Baillie Gallery, London, Scotlandart
‘Selected Scottish Graduates Past & Present’, Scotlandart Edinburgh
3 man show at Baillie Gallery, London
RGI annual exhibition 2004 London Affordable Art Fair, representing Scotlandart.com
Glasgow Art Fair, with Scotlandart.com, John Green Fine Art ,GSA
‘Scottish Art Today’, Lloyds TSB, Edinburgh
One of six selected for Royal Concert Hall Glasgow ‘Internationalism’
2003 London Art Fair
Glasgow Art Fair, representing Scotlandart.com, Stenton Gallery ,GSA
Solo show at the Stenton Gallery, East Lothian
2002 Glasgow School of Art ‘Degree Show’, Main Gallery, Mackintosh ‘Terra Nova’ Degree Show Selection. Main Gallery/Museum, Mackintosh
Solo exhibition at the Kelly Gallery, Glasgow (RGI Exhibitionship)
2001 Solo Exhibition at ‘Gallery Cossachok’, King Street, Glasgow. Royal Glasgow Institute Exhibition, McLellan Galleries, Glasgow.
AWARDS AND PRIZES:
2007 - RGI Langside College Watercolour Award
2007 – RGI Glasgow Art Club Fellowship Award
2004 - Awarded RSW Residency at Hospitalfield House, Arbroath
2002 - Awarded Esmee Fairbairn Residency, Cove Park, Scotland
2001 - RGI Scholarship, RGI Exhibitionship
PUBLICATION AND MEDIA
June ‘02 – The Scotsman: Views of a New Worl
July ‘02 – Business am: Best in sho
September ‘03 – Sunday Times: How to canvas artistic success
March ‘03 – Scotland on Sunday: Best of Time
January/February ‘04 – Homes & Interiors Scotland: Artist for hir
October ‘04 – The Scotsman: The top 20 of Scottish art
November ‘04 – BBC Newsnight Scotland
March/April ‘05 – Homes & Interiors Scotland: Ode to a Manse
October ‘06 – The Herald: The Diary
October ‘07 – Scotsman Review, Duncan Macmillan
February ‘08 – Scotland on Sunday: Hidden Treasure
May ‘08 – Herald Review, New Faces to the Art Club, Jan Patience
PAINTINGS IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:
United Kingdom, United States, France, Holland, Japan