“Common People”
Working-Class Stories.
My final year at GSA, found my practice to be focused on telling the stories of working-class life in Clackmannanshire, the area of central Scotland where I grew up. Drawing from old family photographs, my work captures a sense of nostalgia, sentiment, and quiet gratitude for simple, candid everyday moments. Using mainly household emulsion paints, I aim to preserve and celebrate the overlooked details of ordinary lives, offering a glimpse into the shared experiences of a community often underrepresented in contemporary art
These works are part of an ongoing project titled “Common People”
See the Work In Person
SAVE THE DATE
Kyle Blain - GSA Degree Show 2025
I’m excited to invite you to come and see my work as part of this year’s Glasgow School of Art Degree Show!
WHEN:
Public Opening Times:
• Friday 30th May – 10am to 8pm (last entry 7.30pm)
• Saturday 31st May / Sunday 1st June – 10am to 6pm (last entry 5.30pm)
• Monday 2nd June – Friday 6th June – 10am to 8pm (last entry 7.30pm)
• Saturday 7th June / Sunday 8th June – 10am to 6pm (last entry 5.30pm)
WHERE:
Glasgow School of Art – Stow Building
43 Shamrock Street, Glasgow, G4 9LD
My work is on the first floor.
TICKETS:
No tickets needed – just walk straight in!
About the Series.
My work centres on everyday moments of working-class life, often drawn from personal memories and old family photographs. Inspired by my upbringing in Clackmannan, a small town in central Scotland, the paintings revisit familiar, often overlooked scenes. Like holidays and football kits or quiet afternoons at home. I’m especially interested in the kind of images that feel deeply intimate yet universal and speak to a kind of collective memory.
I use a mix of emulsion, acrylic, and spray paint to try and capture the atmosphere and emotional weight of these moments, blending bold mark-making with moments of quiet reflection. While the people I paint are usually members of my own family, they become a way of talking about the bigger picture, serving as an honest depiction of working-class life, with all its humour and complexity.
Materials & Process.
Many of the paintings are made using household emulsion, layered with acrylics and spray paint. I like how the materials reflect the subjects, they’re accessible, practical, and unfussy, like the people I paint. I’m not trying to recreate a photo exactly, I’m trying to make something felt. Sometimes that means working quickly and instinctively, leaving in imperfections that mirror the realness of the moment.
Why It Matters
Growing up in Clackmannan, Scotland, I rarely saw the kind of life I knew reflected in galleries or textbooks. That’s a big part of what drives this work. I want to document something honest, to paint not just people, but the feeling of belonging to a close-knit community. These paintings are about love, routine, resilience, and the small details that quietly make up a life. It’s about making art that feels familiar, accessible, and true.
