David Lemm

Scottish artist David Lemm was resident at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Jon Schueler Residency Programme in 2017.

Born in Kirkcaldy, David studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee. He has been engaged in a broad range of projects through residencies, educational programmes, and commissions, and in recent years has held solo exhibitions at Edinburgh Printmakers (Debris and Phenomena, 2015) and House of Illustration, London (Mapping King’s Cross, 2016).

Based in Edinburgh, David’s multidisciplinary approach spans various techniques and processes, including printmaking, mixed media and moving image. During the course of his residency, David focused on the area around the College campus and Kilbeg, considering the site for the first new village on Skye for 100 years.

The rare opportunity to experience somewhere on the threshold of becoming a ‘place’ forms the basis of the resulting works. Positioned somewhere between reality and fiction, David responded to this transitional time by considering perceptions of the past, exploring existing topographies and ecological concerns, whilst playfully imaging a future place through an artist’s eye.

His first-hand experiences, though a prism of discovering the Gaelic language and extensive studio-based research, have informed three distinct series of works incorporating drawing, collage and printmaking.

From his week’s Gaelic learning course in the summer on our Short Courses programme to running public studio events and workshops with local school pupils, David has engaged fully with the community here at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Passing Place’, ran from 20 February until 20 April 2018, with an opening event on 19 February in the Atrium of the main campus building.