Artist Alasdair Gray unveils new artwork at Glasgow Hillhead Station

Artist Alasdair Gray has unveiled a giant mural artwork at Glasgow's Hillhead Station.

Celebrated Scottish artist and author Alasdair Gray has unveiled a giant mural which he has created as part of an ongoing modernasation programme at Glasgow's Hillhead Station. The 2x12 metre mural, which will dominate the back wall of the station, took Alasdair fourteen months to complete, along with fellow artist Nichol Wheatley and a team from Perfect Circle Art, who helped create a new method of working with ceramics.

Alasdair said of the project: 'The station is in the centre of Hillhead, which I know well. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the old BBC building with Botanic Gardens had been among my favourite places since the age of eleven. I have lived and worked in the district since 1969, and I knew I would enjoy depicting it, and those who use the Subway, in a symbolic and humorous way.

'This has been a highly detailed and complex work. My crazy vanity that wants to produce big and impressive things has carried on as usual, but I am happy with the outcome, and I hope others will enjoy it as well.

David Fagan, vice chair of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, which commissioned the work, added: 'Hillhead is the first of our stations to be modernised, and we wanted to take this opportunity to make a bold statement about the importance we place on art in the Subway.

'Commissioning a visually striking work by a renowned artist was vital, making Alasdair a natural choice for the project. With his strong connections and affection for the area, we knew he would deliver a work that not only reflects the character of Hillhead and the West End, but also embodies the aspirational nature of SPT’s ambitions for the future. Hillhead will become the standard bearer for all other stations on our network. To have such a large-scale piece of public art by such an important international artist shows just how high we are aiming in improving the look and feel of stations for our passengers and those who work in them.'

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