The studio is genuinely my happy place: a place where I can be honest — with the work and with myself. Painting is an act of reclamation — of self, of story, and of space. Alan Brash
Recent Completion & Work in Progress
Iced Mocha Moment
Oil on canvas 84 × 60 cm
Part of Reflection of a Queer Life Review. Within any relationship, there are moments of deep contemplation and quiet contentment that can wash through the mind and body at any time, in any place. This painting catches my partner absorbed in the warmth of a Swedish café.
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Work in Progress — Untitled
Oil on canvas 84 × 60 cm
An addition to Reflection of a Queer Life Review. The Scottish Colourists have been a lifelong influence — never more so than while growing up and studying at school and art school in Glasgow — and S. J. Peploe is the reference here for the figurative subject. I apply my own palette and treatment, with a slight nod to his extraordinary brushwork. As the painting develops, the narrative will strengthen.
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Featured in Art & Ideas, Philadelphia
An in-depth artist interview in the Summer 2026 edition of Art & Ideas, a Philadelphia fine art newsletter by Steven J. Alles.
“His paintings are large and make an immediate impact, but I am more drawn into the intellectual explanation of his creative process.”
Art & Ideas, Summer 2026 — Read the interview
Recently Completed Commissions
Don't Split It!
Oil on canvas 70 × 63 cm
A contemporary take on a 1978 scene where a young adult tests their resilience and determination to excel in their craft. It was a privilege to paint.
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Book Worms
Oil on canvas 30 × 40 cm
A bespoke commission exploring the shared love of books between a grandmother and grandchild.
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Exhibition
Postgraduate Degree Show 2025
The Glasgow School of Art
A body of figurative abstract-impressionist paintings examining vulnerability, resilience and memory. See highlights and installation views from the show.
ArtMag UK on the work
The Post Graduate Degree Show was reviewed by ArtMag UK as part of their coverage of the 2025 GSA showcase.
“One of the most notable works is by Alan Brash. His oil paintings on canvas, presented in multiple dimensions and hanging unframed on the wall, strike a calming tone, and convey a comfort of simply existing as who we are.”
“He reflects these emotions not only through loose brushstrokes and colour choice, but also through the spaces he paints, capturing moments of resilience and vulnerability. ‘The figures are frequently caught in moments of stillness — nude or semi-dressed, alone or in intimate domestic settings — evoking both presence and absence.’”
ArtMag UK, September 2025 — Read the full article
