Journalist, TV Presenter and writer Kirsty Wark has unveiled new artwork inspired by her family’s artistic heritage.
Titled Polly Wark: pieces of Glasgow, the print is inspired by Kirsty’s great-aunt Polly, a talented china painter active in the 1940s.
The work is part of Glasgow Print Studio’s Call & Response which will see a host of cultural figures create their own limited-edition print in collaboration with the studio. It will culminate in a public exhibition at the studio’s gallery next year.
The print draws from Kirsty’s great-aunt Polly’s hand-painted plate she created in 1944/45, celebrating women’s creativity, intergenerational craft, and Glasgow’s rich artistic traditions.
Credit: Mark Cameron
Kirsty also incorporates Polly’s original maker’s mark, ‘MW’ in gold leaf, taken from the original maker’s mark used by her great-aunt who was known formally as Mary on her china paintings. Pieces bearing the MW mark can still be found in charity and antique shops today.
Kirsty recalls growing up with these hand-painted cups and saucers in daily use at home – objects that quietly carried family history into everyday life.
‘I feel incredibly rooted in Glasgow – its stories, its architecture, its art,’ said Kirsty. ‘My great-aunt Polly’s work was beautifully intricate and made with such care.
‘Creating a piece that connects her legacy to Glasgow’s long-standing traditions of craft and printmaking felt like the perfect contribution to Call & Response.
‘Glasgow Print Studio is extraordinary in how open and welcoming it is to people of all abilities – giving everyone the chance to get hands-on with printmaking and experience a real sense of achievement,’ Kirsty said.
Kirsty Wark with GPS Director Claire Forsyth. Credit: Mark Cameron
‘The teaching that happens there is remarkable, and it’s a true testament to the city’s printmakers, apprentice printmakers and aspiring printers.’
The piece was hand-printed at Glasgow Print Studio by Master Printmakers Ian McNicol, Rosalind Lawless and Alistair Gow. It is available in a limited run of 50 and costs £200.
‘We are delighted to be working with Kirsty Wark, a truly iconic Scottish cultural figure,’ said Claire Forsyth, Creative Director of Glasgow Print Studio.
‘Her print is deeply personal and mirrors the core tenets that drew her to the project – the strength of creativity that runs through all strata of life in Scotland.
Credit: Mark Cameron
‘By focusing on the craftsmanship of her great-aunt Polly, Wark brings attention to the quiet creativity and talent of women at the turn of the century, influenced by Glasgow Girl Elizabeth Mary Watt.’
The Call & Response project brings together leading figures from Scotland’s music, fashion, theatre, literature, design and broadcast sectors to create original fine art prints in collaboration with Glasgow Print Studio’s Master Printmakers.
Participants include Peter Capaldi, Alan Cumming, Franz Ferdinand, Greg Hemphill & Julie Wilson Nimmo, Ashley Jensen, Sanjeev Kohli, and The Pastels with more to be announced.
The first work from the project was created by Bobby Bluebell (aka Robert Hodgens) of the legendary Scottish indie new wave band The Bluebells.
Credit: Mark Cameron
His embossed screenprint depicts an inflorescence of bluebells, bringing together elements from The Bluebells’ debut album Sisters (1984) and their forthcoming album This Is The Bluebells, set for release in spring 2026.
Read more News stories here.
Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.
