Kayleigh Sarah McGuinness

Born in Glasgow in the early nineties, my childhood was filled with visits to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, where my imagination was first ignited by the powerful works of art surrounding me. One moment that stands out is being captivated by Sir Joseph Noel Paton’s painting The Fairy Raid, and the awe I felt when my mother revealed he was a distant relative. From an early age, I found solace and fluency in the language of art, always creating and expressing myself through making. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always clear: I wanted to be an artist.

The journey to achieving this dream was not without challenges. Despite two unsuccessful attempts to gain entry into the Glasgow School of Art in 2009 and 2010, I was undeterred. I took time to reflect and then enrolled in the Tramway’s Portfolio Course, where I discovered a newfound passion for sculpture. This experience paved the way for my eventual acceptance, and in 2017, I proudly graduated from the Sculpture and Environmental Art department with an upper-class BA Honors degree.

Since graduating, my practice has deepened into an exploration of my Celtic island roots and the potential lived experiences of my ancestors. This connection is fostered through travel to places tied to my island heritage, where I immerse myself in the natural materials, sounds, and landscapes that shaped their lives. My artistic journey is as much about rediscovering these ties as it is about understanding my place within them.

A recurring thread in my work is the act of repetitive wrapping motions—a compulsion I have followed since I first began creating. I am currently delving into this instinct as an expression of what I term “ancestral muscle memory,” investigating whether these practical processes echo the traditions carried out by my ancestors. This practice allows me to connect with them not just through memory, but through the act of making.

My work has evolved to find profound meaning in the process itself, placing emphasis on the experience of doing rather than simply producing an object. This shift has opened new pathways, leading me to experiment with performance and video as mediums that capture the intangible essence of these explorations.

Today, my installations are inspired by the heritage, materiality, and landscapes that define my Scottish and Gaelic culture. They invite viewers to not only observe but to sense the echoes of the past interwoven with the present, encouraging a shared reflection on how our histories are embedded in who we are and how we create.

To discover more video content of me ‘making’ and ‘doing’ please follow my Instagram by clicking the link; @kayleighmcguinnessartist