Thomas Abercromby
(He/him)
Address: Romås Senter , Romsås Senter 1, 0970 Oslo
Room number: 649
The studio is open Saturday 26 April from 12-17
Thomas Abercromby works as both an artist and curator, engaging with themes of abolition, environmentalism, and social class while critically addressing contradictions within the art world. His practice draws on histories of resistance and overlooked narratives, including Glasgow’s mega-prison project, the 1947-48 Dakar-Niger railway strike, and Greenpeace’s 1997 occupation of Rockall. Through films, sound and olfactory scapes, installations, and community-focused programming, Thomas collaborates with academics, activists, gardeners, prisoners, and local communities to interrogate systems of power, care, and exclusion. His work creates spaces that balance personal memory with collective possibility, envisioning art as a catalyst for social and cultural change.
Film, Installation & Sculpture
Installation of John, Thomas Abercromby (2023). Collective Gallery, Edinburgh.
Installation of Rocabarraigh, Thomas Abercromby (2022). Archival flag. Market Gallery, Glasgow.
Still from the film Rocabarraigh, Thomas Abercromby (2022). Market Gallery, Glasgow.
The School of Abolition, Thomas Abercromby (2021). Public installation. Image by Alberta Whittle. Glasgow Sculpture Studios.
Film Previews:
In my studio
Preview of ongoing work, including:
The project for Mount Stuart (2025), which investigates the healing potential of gardens and green spaces as sites of solace and renewal. Drawing on personal memory and literary sources such as Jamaica Kincaid’s writings, the work incorporates immersive soundscapes and olfactory design to explore themes of healing, class, addiction, and our relationship with the natural world.
The Artica Svalbard commission (2025 -2026), focusing on the 2018 Maxim Popov incident in Longyearbyen, where a mental health crisis culminated in a rare bank robbery. This project, developed in collaboration with the local community, particularly young people will explore justice, care, and mental health in isolated environments through interviews, archival research, and sensory exploration.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the artist’s completed film works, which will be screened during studio visits, offering further insights into his multidisciplinary practice.
Planned projects and exhibitions
Upcoming Exhibitions and Projects
23.01.2025 – 15.11.2025
University of Edinburgh
Rooting: Ecology, Extraction & Environmental Emergency in the University’s Art Collection
Group exhibition.
14.09.2025
Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute
Solo exhibition.
2025–2026
Artica Svalbard, Longyearbyen (with KORO)
New commission.
2025–2026
University of Edinburgh
New film commission.
20.06.2026
Glasgow International
Exhibition with The School of Mutants.
CV
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2023 – John, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh
2022 – Rocabarraigh, Market Gallery, Glasgow
Group Exhibitions
2024 – You Have Not Yet Been Defeated, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow International Festival, with The School of Mutants
2022 – The Sea, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre
2021 – You’re Never Done, Glasgow International
Screenings
2024 – LUX Scotland
2024 – G39 Gallery
Residencies & Research Trips
2025 – Residency, Artica Svalbard, October
2025–2026 – Residency, Leveld Kunstnartun, November–January
2021 – Residency, Raw Material Company, Dakar
2020 – Residency, Cove Park
2024 – Curatorial Research Trip, Venice (Supported by British Council)
2024 – OCA & Mondriaan Fund Orientation Trip, Ghana and Ivory Coast
2021 – Curatorial Research Trip, Dakar (Supported by British Council)
Awards & Funding
2022, 2023 & 2024– Creative Scotland Open Fund Award
2023 – Hope Scott Trust Award
2020 – Donald Dewar Award
Collections
The University of Edinburgh Collections
Publications
2021–2022 – The Moon Spins the Dead Prison: An Anthology of Abolition
Public Presentations & Talks
2023 – Book Launch for Who Does Not Envy With Us Is Against Us by Maria Fusco, in conversation at Fruitmarket, Edinburgh
2023 – Artist Talk with Onyeka Igwe, Radical Duet Screening
2021 – Discussion on Abolitionist Epistemologies, Goldsmiths CCA
2021 – Talks on Afro-Asianism and Films by François Knoetze, Che Onejoon, Musquiqui Chihying, and Lou Mo, CCA Glasgow
Press & Media
Montez Press Radio
Frieze Magazine – Featured as Editor’s Pick
The Scotsman
Education
2012–2016 – BA (Hons) Contemporary Art Practice, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design