The amazing faces that won the Scottish Portrait Awards

From writers lost in a moment to a cheeky, mysterious smile and the long gaze of an innocent child, the diversity of the images is as arresting as the portraits themselves.

Now, the winning images which caught the eye of the judges of the Scottish Portrait Awards have gone on tour.

The mix of fine art and photography comes together in the “biggest and most ambitious” display of work of the awards, which are organised by the Scottish Arts Trust.

The exhibition of the winning work of the 2024 Scottish Portrait Awards is now on show at Duff House, Banff, Aberdeenshire until January 31.

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It will then transfer to Charles Rennie Mackintosh Gallery at the Glasgow Art Club from February 8. The exhibition includes the very first Scotland Now! Phone Portrait Award – a free competition, open to everyone living in Scotland aged over 16, which drew more than 1,500 phone entries from across the country.

The prize was won by Ritchie Patto, of Glasgow, for his portrait of a child obscured by the mesh sides of a trampoline. Mr Patton said he wanted to use the £500 prize towards a family trip to Skye.

Ritchie Patton took the Scotland Now! Phone Portrait Award 2024 (£500 prize). He said: "I'm extremely happy to win the award. As a photographer it's always exciting to be recognised especially when judged by other excellent photographers. "The money will aid in a trip I had planned next year to take photos on the isle of Skye possibly travelling in a campervan with my family." | Scottish Art Trust

Graeme Wilcox, from Glasgow, won the Sutherland Independent Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art and £5,000 with his painting ‘D in Stripes’.

The judges were unanimous in their choice, describing the work as “exceptionally painted”. Mr Wilcox has submitted works to the Scottish Portrait Awards for many years, but this is the first time he has achieved recognition

He said: “It’s a boost to be selected and great to be recognised in such a strong exhibition.”

Graeme Wilcox took the First Prize: Sutherland Independent Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art (£5,000 prize) "The work was exceptionally painted – it conveyed a strong sense of identity and personality in the sitter who is boldly and centrally placed. The judges especially appreciated the skill in the way the folds in the cloth had been handled, not only in the sitter’s robe but also the folds in the floor covering," said Gordon Mitchell, Director of Scottish Portrait Awards. | Scottish Arts Trust

Jennifer Charlton, from Duns in the Scottish Borders, is the winner of the MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Colour Photography and £2,000 prize, being the first female photographer to claim the accolade.

The winning photograph is one of a series from Ms Charlton’s BA Hons degree titled “A Hidden Community”, which depicts those who each courageously shared their stories on mental health.

On being the first woman to win the award, Ms Charlton said: “For a number of years I’ve worked as a sports photographer in the male-dominated arena of boxing. Every time I stand ringside as the only woman amongst all the other photographers.

“I hope one female might see me and decide she wants to try it as well. Going to college to study photography as a single mum, I had no idea how I was even going to find a weekly sitter for the evening class, the logistics of doing a degree was unthinkable. I hope to inspire others in difficult circumstances that anything is possible if you want it enough.”

Scottish Art Trust

Kayhan Jafar-Shaghaghi, from Edinburgh, won the MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Black & White Photography and £2,000 with the portrait ‘Chiselled Essence: Masculine Reverie 1’, which challenges the conventional idea of portraiture in photography.

Of the work, the judges said: “This is a beautiful emotive and brave image with a great sense of quiet and an almost graphic quality.“

Chris Close took the The SPA Albert Watson Portrait Prize (£1,000 prize) for this image of writer James Kelman. Mr Watson, a photographer of international repute, selected the image himself. | Scottish Arts Trust

Internationally renowned photographer Albert Watson OBE returned this year as a guest judge, having personally reviewed every photographic work entered before choosing a portrait of the Scottish author ‘James Kelman’ by Chris Close, from Edinburgh, as the winner of the SPA Albert Watson Portrait Prize.

Mr Watson said: “This outstanding portrait by Chris Close is one that I noticed quickly and kept coming back to. It has a memorable quality.”