Orla’s creative practice is rooted in exploring and honouring the process of grief. Her work transforms personal loss into something quietly powerful, an act of love and remembrance. She believes grief is a privilege and to mourn deeply is to have loved deeply. Her current body of work centres on five core memories shared with her late father, each preserved in paint to keep them alive in the present. Created from memory without reference images, the paintings are honest reflections, imperfect but deeply felt. Distortions in scale, perspective, and detail are intentional, symbolising how memory shifts and fades over time. 

See Orla’s work as part of our exhibition of work by emerging artists, Starter Pack, curated by gallery intern Hope Reynolds. Starter Pack is many things: it’s a grass roots opportunity for artists to begin, or expand on, their repertoire of exhibitions, to connect with other artists in Glasgow, to further their understanding of working with galleries and curators, and to gain publicity. Starter Pack runs at Six Foot from August 12th to August 26th.

Hi Orla! Have you recently finished your degree? What’s next for you? 
I graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art this year (2025,) and I’m now looking for the next steps in my career. I am still unsure about what I want for my future, and I’m looking for a job in creative corporate sectors.

Who or what inspires you? Do you interact with your inspirations? 
What inspires me to create is my father. He was always my biggest cheerleader in my creative passions. After his passing, I have begun to create work for him as a way of honouring all those years of motivation he provided me.

Can you elaborate on the themes you explore in your work? 
Within my work, I explore themes of grief, connection, and remembrance. My work is focused on my journey with grief following the death of my dad. Since his passing, I have explored my current emotions through my creative practice and used it as a medium to self-heal. My latest practice displays commemoration and nostalgia as I aim to capture the precious memories I have with my father. I explore how even the most mundane moments can hold such strong emotional value

What is your chosen medium? Why do you enjoy working with it?
My current chosen medium is oil paint. I enjoy the flexibility oils provide as they enable me to change my work again and again, which is crucial for me as I tend not to rely on reference images, only memory. Due to this challenge, I feel as though oils work with me, not against me and almost ‘fill in the blanks’ within my paintings. I enjoy exploring more ways to use oils with each painting.

Tell us about your ‘style,’ what does it mean to you? 
My style is a mixture of surrealism and realism, which depicts my moments of the past. My work from afar appears to be complete, but the closer you get, the more raw and unfinished it seems. My style reflects the idea that no memory is preserved perfectly forever, and even our most cherished ones will fade away with time.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
When viewing my work, I want the viewers to gain a sense of connection and reminisce. My work displays heavy topics of grief and loss, and it aims to preserve precious moments in time spent with my father. I have heard some viewers relay that they resonate with my work, and it provided comfort.

Find out more about Orla’s work on Instagram. Starter Pack runs at Six Foot Gallery until Tuesday 26th August 2025.