Mother Glasgow

Discover the story behind Gerard’s ‘Mother Glasgow’ exhibition

‘Mother Glasgow’ is a celebration (via 15 oil-painted portraits) of multiculturalism within the city of Glasgow, and the essential role of women in our society.

In all of the various exhibitions I’ve been involved in, both here in Glasgow and around the world, I’ve used my portraits to tell stories… either about politicians, actors, individuals from the world of business and sport, or simply individuals who’ve come into my life for one reason or another.

In this case, each of these paintings and the subjects depicted has an important story to tell. Stories about the importance of immigration, of multiculturalism and the role of women in our society…

Stories which matter now more than ever in these increasingly polarised times.

Gerard’s Mother Glasgow Exhibition will be available to view at…

The Glasgow Collective

Exhibition Times
11 am till 4 pm
9th to 20th March 2026

The Glasgow Art Club

Exhibition Times
10 am till 5 pm
1st June to 6th July 2026

Scottish Parliament

Exhibition Times
August 2026
Exact dates and times to be confirmed

Mitchell Library

Exhibition Times
September 2026
Exact dates and times to be confirmed

words from Gerard…

Hi everyone. I thought it might be worth offering you a few words about this project, about what I hope to achieve, and why, basically, I’ve put this thing together.

For those who know my work you’ll be aware that I use paintings to tell stories, whether it be using objects symbolically as in some of my larger figurative works, or whether it be in my portraits themselves, where inevitably in the best of what I do, there’s a narrative embedded….and in this instance I wanted to tell a story about Glasgow. I wanted to tell a story which celebrated multiculturalism within the city. And to do so, I decided to paint a series of portraits of women from around the world who have chosen to make the city their home.

Full transcript available here

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Now, I suppose your first instinct might be to think about people who have come to the city recently, but that’s not actually how this has worked out.

For example, I have an amazing 87-year-old Italian lady called Gina Useabi, who came to the city when she was just 17. I have a wonderful French ballet dancer, a Japanese violinist. It’s a remarkable group of women.

Interestingly, I didn’t set out with any kind of wishlist. I simply allowed life to bring these women to me, and it really has. So much so that what was initially intended to be twelve portraits is now sixteen. And the reality is, it could be 150, it could be 1,050. For every one story I’m hoping to tell, there are a thousand others. Lots of amazing things have happened along the way.

As well as the opportunity to paint a portrait properly, you have to get to know a person. I’ve had the chance to enter into the lives of these individuals and hear amazing stories about their journeys to the city, and about their experiences since arriving. But one of the most unexpected and extraordinary things that has come about is that we’ve been offered space on these huge digital billboards throughout the city. You may already have seen the first portrait of Gina Useabi, which went up a couple of weeks ago. I mean, just amazing.

That opportunity in itself is really an art project. The idea is that these paintings will inhabit the city between now and the exhibition launch in March next year.

The plan is that the portraits will change every two weeks, with a new one going up each time. I don’t have all of them finished yet, so we’re working with what we have. As new portraits come out of the studio, they’ll feed into the billboards right up to the exhibition opening.

The hope is that the exhibition will then run in various locations throughout 2026. Initially, though, it will be at the Mitchell Library. This is all timed to coincide with International Women’s Day next year, on the 8th of March, with the paintings going into the Mitchell on the 9th. There will be a media launch a couple of days before.

That’s essentially the start of the exhibition. Glasgow Life has been amazing. They’ve given me the space, they understand what I’m trying to do, and the idea that these paintings will live in a place where people already are feels incredibly important.

So, as they say, keep an eye on the billboards, keep an eye on the website, and watch this space.