Artist Niamh McGoldrick-McGrath is in her final year studying Fine Art at DJCAD. Niamh’s practice examines the relationship between people and land, driven by her belief that we are shaped by that land as much as we shape it. Her work explores her journeys across Scottish landscapes and the elements she collects from the lochs and land she encounters. She seeks to question how our identities are be shaped by the landscapes that we interact with throughout our lives.
See Niamh’s work as part of our annual winter open call exhibition, TRACES, showcasing works inspired by the marks that we leave in our wake: footprints in the snow, the enduring warmth of an embrace, the hollow left in the seat of your favourite armchair.
Hi Niamh! Tell us how your artistic journey started?
I’ve always been creative. From a young age I was fascinated with drawing people and being outdoors in the hills but it’s only recently, in the past few years since starting art school, that these two worlds have come together for me.
What has been the biggest inspiration in your practice?
A lot of my process is just me immersing myself in landscapes, walking hills, exploring new areas. To make my work I like to use environmentally reactive mediums, such as cyanotype, Polaroid and print. These methods allow me to make artwork in collaboration with the environments I am in without taking anything from the land directly. They are determined by elements like weather and temperature, so each piece is unique to the time and place It was created in.
How has your practice changed over time and how do you overcome creative blocks?
My practice is constantly changing as I continue collaborate with new environments and I rarely work in the same place more than once. I think walking and exploring is key for me. Getting outside, exploring new landscapes with new mediums and see where that takes me.
Will your next project be a continuation of your current style or are you experimenting with something different? Can you share a glimpse of your next project?
In my current project I am continuing to work with Cyanotype and other alternative printing methods to map my journey through landscapes. However, I’ve started to look at collaborating with nature in a purer sense, stepping away from made-made topography and looking at ways an environment can map itself. I have taken my control out of the process and let the natural environment direct the artwork, which so far has resulted in some really interesting marks made by rain, wind, and land surfaces.
What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?
Trust the process! And don’t put too much pressure on yourself or other people’s opinions. If you are excited and passionate about what you are creating, other people will see that in your work and feel excited about it too.
Connect with Niamh over on Instagram or on her website, and see her work in TRACES running at SFG until January 6th 2026.
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