The Little Institute presents small-scale artworks by five graduates from the 2024 Fine Art Degree Show at the Glasgow School of Art. The group comprises Jessie Laithwaite, Rebecca Laverty, Matthew Casey, Kaiying Qian, and Theodore Stevenson, alumni from Painting and Printmaking, Fine Art Photography, and Sculpture and Environmental Art.
The exhibition brings together a variety of practices and themes, all united by an interest in smallness — how it distorts our perspectives, creates intimacy, emotion, and intrigue. Matthew Casey’s enchanting paintings produce fairytale realms, featuring ethereal, spirit-like creatures gazing over landscapes they are destined to explore. Using a muted colour palette of deep blues and ochres, Casey creates dreamlike atmospheres that captivate and intrigue. Theodore Stevenson is an artist who collects and archives found objects like discarded car parts, broken bike locks, pins, and screws with the curiosity of a magpie. He transforms these components into new art objects, challenging their original functions and renewing their value.Kaiying Qian explores themes of home and culture rooted in her Chinese heritage. Using photojournalism and archival photography, she delves into her family history, reflecting on time, nostalgia, ageing, and cultural communication within East Asian households.