Oli Turner (b. 2003) is a visual artist from Yorkshire, currently based in Glasgow. Her practice is multidisciplinary, rooted in the exploration of landscape, place and memory. Having recently graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in Fine Art Photography (First-Class BA (Hons)), she has since received multiple awards, including the Visual Arts Scotland Graduate Award and selection for RSA New Contemporaries.
Her work is shaped by journeys into remote and rural environments, investigating themes of ecology, decay and the interrelationship between inner and outer worlds. Using a contemplative visual language, she reflects on the evolving bond between humans and the natural world, creating work that invites slow looking and reflection.
Recent projects have focused on the ritual landscapes of the British Isles, particularly Neolithic sites in Scotland, where layers of human history lie embedded in the earth. For Oli, these ancient places act as portals to explore continuity between past and present, revealing how memory and meaning can be held within the land itself. At the heart of her practice is a search for solace in nature - a counterpoint to the disconnection and noise of contemporary life.
When not exploring in remote environments, she works at her studio in East Glasgow where the door is always open, come swing by for a chat !
EducationGlasgow School of Art, Glasgow - First Class BA (hons) Fine Art: Photography, 2022 - 2025Kingston School of Art, London - Foundation Diploma in Fine Art and Design, 2021 - 2022
Selected PressMail Plus Scottish Edition, Scottish Pics of the Day, March 2026The Scotsman Art Reviews, GSA Degree Show, June 2025
AwardsFleming Wyfold Foundation Award, April 2026Graduate Award, Visual Arts Scotland - Graduate Showcase, June 2025Royal Scottish Academy New Contemporaries Selection, June 2025Saltspace Gallery Graduate Award, June 2025
Exhibitions (group)
2026New Contemporaries, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, April 2026Wet Wood, Sanki Gallery, Edinburgh, April 2026Staged, Six Foot Gallery, Glasgow, Feb 2026SSA 127th Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Jan 2026
2025The Thread that Pulls, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Dec 2025Photography Now, Brick Lane Gallery, London, Oct 2025Visual Arts Scotland Graduate Showcase, Hidden Door, Edinburgh, Sept 2025Selected Graduate Artist, Visual Arts Scotland Artist and Makers Market, Dalkeith Palace, Edinburgh, Aug 2025Glasgow School of Art Degree Show, Stow Building, Glasgow, June 2025WIP - French Street (Strangefield), Glasgow, Jan 2025
2024Sugar Sells - Govan Project Space, Glasgow, Nov 2024Microsteria - Summerhall, Edinburgh, Feb 2024Glue Gun 2 - The Pipe Factory, Glasgow, May 2024
2023Glue Gun - The Glue Factory, Glasgow, Feb 2023