About
Alicia Bruce is an award-winning, working-class photographer, community collaborator, educator, and activist based in Scotland. Her photography sits between documentary and staged imagery focusing on communities, environments and human rights. Alicia Bruce is a member of the collective Women Photograph. Her first monograph ‘I Burn But I Am Not Consumed’ Daylight Books (USA), 2023 documents sixteen years of Donald Trump’s impact on a coastal Scottish community near where the artist grew up.
Alicia’s photographs have been exhibited and published internationally, winning several artists’ residencies and bursaries including the Royal Scottish Academy Morton Award. Her images have been featured in Le Monde, The Times, The Scotsman, BBC News and STV News, and are represented in several public and private collections including the National Galleries of Scotland, St Andrews University Special Collections, UK Parliament, Martin Parr Foundation and The RSA. She recently gave talks at International Centre for Photography and School of Visual Arts in New York.
She is honoured to be featured in The List Magazine’s 2018 Hot 100 “The Edinburgh-based photographer and lecturer tackled domestic violence in her portrait series Violence Unseen at the Stills Gallery in association with Zero Tolerance, photographed Mhairi Black for the 209 Women project, and created the photographic element of the Our World Heritage exhibition at Edinburgh's Tron Kirk. (DP)”
Alicia is based in Edinburgh, Scotland where she is a Teaching Fellow in Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. She accepts commissions locally, nationally and internationally. Her commercial portfolio features clients including Reuters, Project Ability, engage, Zero Tolerance, Crisis and more
She is a board member for Stills and a member of Travelling Gallery Advisory Group, POST Photo Collective, Women Photograph and Socially Engaged Photography Networt.
Shed studio at Woodend Barn Allotments Residency
SELECTED RECENT COMMISIONS AND CAMPAIGNS
Our Freedom: Then & Now, Zero Tolerance, Crisis, Edinburgh World Heritage, NewsDirect, National Galleries of Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy, engage, Project Ability, University of St Andrews, Broomhouse Primary School, The Barn, The European Parliament, NHS, V&A Dundee, 209 Women, Emotionworks, Harpers Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Open University
COLLECTIONS
National Galleries of Scotland, Robert Mapplethorpe Photography Collection, Royal Scottish Academy, RSA, Edinburgh Napier University Photography Collection, Ffotogallery, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, University of St Andrews Photography Collection, Zero Tolerance, Martin Parr Foundation, Various private collections
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 ‘The Greatest 36 Holes? Coming Soon’ Format International Photography Festival, Derby
2018 ‘Violence Unseen’ Stills, Edinburgh, UK (Touring commission for Zero Tolerance)
2018 ‘Our World Heritage’ Tron Kirk, Edinburgh, UK
2017 ‘Menie: TRUMPED’ Fix Photography Festival, London, UK
2016 ‘Menie: TRUMPED’ St Andrews Photography Festival, UK
2015 ‘The Sim Project’, RSA, Edinburgh, UK
2015 ‘Digging for Diamonds’, EU Buildings, Brussels, Belgium
2014 ‘Digging for Diamonds’, Woodend Barn, Scotland
2013 ‘Encore’ RWCMD, Cardiff, Part of Diffusion Festival
2013 ‘Menie’ The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, UK
2011 ‘Menie’ Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen, UK
2011 ‘Menie’, Belmont Picturehouse, Aberdeen, UK
2011 ‘Menie’, Moray Art Centre, Findhorn, UK
2011 ‘Menie’, Edindocs Film Festival, Edinburgh, UK
2008 ‘Alicia Bruce: Artist in Residence’, Aberdeen Art Centre, Aberdeen, UK
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026 ‘Our Freedom: Then & Now’ Southbank Centre, London (Touring UK)
2026 ‘Care & Defiance’ Centrala Space, Birmingham
2025 ‘The Modern Portrait’ Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
2025 PhotoDalkeith, Dalkeith Palace, Scotland
2025 Lishui Photography and Cultural Centre, Lishui, China
2024 ‘How We See’ Purchase College, NY, USA
2024 ‘Crossing Sectors’ Open Eye, Liverpool, UK
2023 ‘[Re]Source’ Lishui Museum, Lishui Photography Centre, China
2023 ‘LOVE’ Still Not the Lesser’ Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, USA
2022 ‘This Separated Isle’ Impressions Gallery, Bradford
2022 ‘This Separated Isle’ Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow
2022 ‘This Separated Isle’ Ffotogallery, Cardiff
2020 ‘Mhairi Black MP’, acquired for permanent display at UK Parliament, London, UK
2019 ‘209 Women’ Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK
2019 ‘Cascade’ University of Edinburgh, UK
2018 ‘209 Women’ UK Parliament, London, UK
2017 ‘Ages of Wonder’ Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, UK
2017 ‘When the Light Shifts’ Glasgow Women’s Library
2015 ‘Collecting Now’ Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
2015 ‘Fleece to Fibre’ National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
2014 ‘Industries’ VU, Meduse, Quebec City, Canada
2014 ‘Industries’ Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow
2014 ‘Fleece to Fibre’ The Fleming Collection, London, UK
2014 ‘Fleece to Fibre’ Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne, Australia
2014 ‘Fleece to Fibre’ Inverness Art Galleries and Museums, UK
2014 ‘Made in Wales’ A Fine Beginning Collective
2013 ‘The Valleys Re-Presented’ RWCMD, Cardiff, Part of Diffusion Festival
2013 ‘Fleece to Fibre’ Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Art Festival
2013 ‘Encore’ Les Rencontres d’Arles, France
2012 ‘Echt? Jetzt!’ Regensburg, Germany
2012 ‘Self Reliance (1841)’ Out of the Blue, Edinburgh Art Festival
2012 ‘Menie’ Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen, UK
2012 ‘The Gathering’ Rhubarb Rhubarb, Diemar/Noble Photography, London
2011 ‘Foto8 Summershow’, Host Gallery, London
2009 ‘Feedback Loop’ Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
2009 The Scottish BAFTAS
2008 ‘Flood in the Highlands: after Edwin Landseer’ Aberdeen Art Gallery
2008 ‘Flood in the Highlands’ City Arts Centre, Edinburgh, UK
2008 ‘Feedback Loop’ Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, UK
2006 ‘Napier University: Creative Industries, Degree Show’
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2025 Prix Pictet (Nomination)
2024 Expert Recommended Photographer, Lishui Photography Festival, China
2023 UK Photographer Laureate (Nomination)
2018 List Hot 100
2016 St Andrews University Purchase Award
2015 RSA Muirhead Purchase Award
2014 The Royal Scottish Academy Morton Award 2014
2013 Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Awards Honourable Mention
2013 The Scottish Parliament, Motion S4M-05749
2012 Format Festival/ Synapse Residency Shortlisted
2012 ArtWorks, Artists residential at Hospitalfield House, Arbroath, Scotland
2012 Aberdeen City Council, Funding to exhibit and speak at an International Photography Symposium in Regensburg, Germany
2012 Bursary to attend engage International SummerSchool, Helsinki, Finland
2012 British School at Rome Document Residency, Shortlisted
2011 Ffotogallery, Photographer in Residence at Blaenavon World Heritage
2010 Aberdeen City Council, Visual Arts Award (for film and video works)
2009 Project Slogan Two week residency in artist run space, Aberdeen
2009 Street Level Photoworks, Bursary to attend Rhubarb-Rhubarb International Review
2009 Street Level Photoworks, Bursary to attend Rhubarb-Rhubarb Cultivate
2009 The Jonathan Jones Memorial Prize, Peacock Visual Arts, Aberdeen
2009 Shell, Commended for Aberdeen Art Gallery Exhibition
2009 The Sally Schofield Memorial Prize, Visual Arts Scotland
2008, Aberdeen Arts Centre, Artist in Residence
2007 The Institute of Contemporary Scotland: Young Scotland Programme
2003 Scottish Photographers, Young Photographer Award
SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS
‘Conflicted’ Format International Photography Festival UK, 2025
‘I Burn But I Am Not Consumed’ Daylight Books, USA., 2023
‘Surveying the Anthropocene, Environment and Photography Now’ Edited by Patricia Macdonald, Edinburgh University Press. 2022
‘This Separated Isle’ Edited by Paul Sng, Bristol Policy Press, 2021
‘209 Women’, Bluecoat Press, 2019
‘Violence Unseen’, Zero Tolerance, 2018
SSHoP, Studies in Photography, 2016
‘Coming Up Trumps’, Cameracraft, 2016
‘The Glasgow Boys’, Drents Museum, Netherlands, 2015
'‘Aspire’, Project Ability, Glasgow, 2015
‘Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained’ Grant Scott, Focal Press 2014
‘European Prospects’ Ffotogallery 2014
SELECTED TEACHING, CONFERENCES, LECTURES & WORKSHOPS
Fife College, City of Glasgow College (Curriculum Leader), Edinburgh College of Art, Ffotogallery, Edinburgh College College, Street Level Photoworks, The Fruitmarket Gallery, National Galleries of Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Ingleby Gallery, University of Aberdeen, University of Hertfordshire, University of St Andrews, University of West Scotland, VU Photo (Quebec)
RECENT CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIUMS & INVITED LECTURES
2026. GRAIN Talk
2025. Association of Art History, University of York (Franki Raffles Panel)
2025. ‘Between Women’ Symposium, University of St Andrews
2025. ‘Conflicted’ FORMAT Festival, Derby
2024 ‘RECLAIM Network’ The Barbican, London
2024. ‘Sanctuaries’ Symposium with Marina Warner, Edinburgh Futures Institute
2024. ‘Spheres of Cultural Valuation, Art Institute of Chicago, USA
2023. Yale University & University of the South, Sewanee, USA (Guest lecturer)
2023. The Documentary Photobook, Panel Discussion, ICP, NYC
2023. i3 Photo Lecture, School of Visual Arts, NYC
2023. In Conversation with Christiane Monarchi, Centre for British Photography, London,
2023. Stills, Edinburgh
2023. BOP Bristol, Photobook Festival organised by Martin Parr and RPS
2023. Street Level Photoworks
2023. Aberdeen Art Gallery with Karine Polwart
2023. Spheres of Cultural Valuation, Art Institute of Chicago, USA
2021. Close Up: Franki Raffles, Panel, Street Level Photoworks | University of St Andrews
2019. Photography for Social Change, University of Edinburgh Open Lecture Series
SELECTED AUDIO INTERVIEWS
2024. PhotoEthics Podcast ‘On Colloaboration and Advocacy’
2023. Stills Photography Down the Line, In conversation with Ben Harman, Stills
2023. ‘Focal Point’ Chicago's Underground Radio, MoCP, Columbia College
SELECTED TV
2025. Good Morning Britain
2025. RTL LIFE, Germany ‘A nature reserve – simply flattened by Trump’ 15/03/25
2023. ‘The Women Who Changed Modern Scotland’ with Kirsty Wark, BBC2
2017. RSI News, Lo scozzese Trump e il golf, 11/05/2017
2016. BBC ‘Donald Trump: Photographs of controversial golf course exhibited’.
SELECTED PRESS, REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS
2025. ABC News, Australia
2025. Wall Street Journal
2025. British Journal of Photography, Format Festival Review, Diane Smyth
2023. Studies in Photography, ‘I Burn But I Am Not Consumed’ reviewed by Jenny Brownrigg, Director of Exhibitions at GSA
2023. British Journal of Photography ‘Profit, power and TV personalities: Photographing the community in conflict with Trump’ by Phillipa Kelly
2023. Harpers Magazine ‘Risky Disco’ Sara Hendren
2023. Scottish Art News, ‘I Burn But I Am Not Consumed’ reviewed by Neil Cooper
2023. The Guardian ‘The Scottish villagers who defied Donald Trump
2023. Huck Magazine ‘The Devastating Impact Of Donald Trump’s Scottish Golf Courses’
2023. L’Oeil de la Photographie
2023. Vita (Italy) ‘l giorno che Michael e Sheila dissero no a Donald Trump’
2023. Financial Times (FT Magazine)
2023. RPS Journal ‘Donald Trump and the quiet rebellion’reviewed by Ciaran Sneddon
2023. RPS The Decisive Moment - ‘On the Bookshelf’ - Edition 27 by Nick Hodgson FRPS
2023. e-Flux ‘LOVE: Still Not the Lesser’
2023. New City Art, All You Need is Love: A Review of “LOVE: Still Not the Lesser” at MoCP Reviewed by Susan Aurinko
2023. DAZED ‘Art Shows to leave the house for in December 2023’
2023. artdaily.com ‘LOVE: Still Not the Lesser’
2022. Socially Engaged Photography Network Interview. A Spotlight On..
2020. 16 Days Blogathon, University of Edinburgh, 16 Days of Activism, GenderEd ‘Picturing Violence Unseen’
2019. ‘209 Women’ Oh Comley
2019. aCurator Magazine, NYC, Menie Getting Trumped, Julie Graham
2018. ‘Violence Unseen’ **** review The List, David Pollock 06/09/18
2016. Article: ‘Coming Up Trumps’, Cameracraft
2015. ‘The Sim Project’, BBC
2014. Drawing on Art History, Aberdeenshire Residents Respond Creatively to Trump International Golf Course, Helen Trompeteler, Curator at Silver Eye, Pittsburgh
2013. ‘The Valleys Project’, BBC
2013. Photomonitor: Encore + The Valleys Re-Presented RWCMD, Anna Falcini
2012. ‘Menie’, BBC
2012. Journal: ‘engage 31: The Past in the Present’ Menie Case Study with Catriona McAra
2011. ‘The Menie Anthology’ Brighton Photo Fringe commissioned essay, Irene Alison
2011. ‘Aberdeen Gothic’ Mike Wade, The Times, 15/01/11
2011. ‘Where the Art Is’ Susan Mansfield, The Scotsman, 14/01/11
SELECTED RESIDENCIES, COMMISSIONS, BURSARIES, & PARTICIPATORY PROJECTS
2025. ‘Our Freedom Then and Now’ with Future Arts Centres and Open Eye Gallery
2025. ‘Women, Scotland and Life Beyond Crisis’, The Open University Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
2025. Wall Street Journal
2024. ‘New Faces, New Focus’, Aberdeenshire Museums with Open Eye Gallery (Liverpool), Art Fund ‘Going Places’
2024. Siobhan and Richard Coward Bursary
2023. Harpers Magazine, NYC
2022. WithYou Support, Portraits of supported adults.
2021. WS Society, Official Portrait of Caroline Doherty OBE for Signet Library
2021. Knockengorroch Festival, Carsphairn Portraits and Outdoor Exhibition
2021. COP26 ‘Leaf Us Alone’ Participatory Project with Teens, The Dick Institute
2021. Edinburgh International Book Festival ‘Tollcross Stories’ with Eleanor Thom.
2020. SmartWorks, International Women’s Day Campaign
2018. ‘A Portrait of East Lothian’ Round Table Projects/Tonic Arts/NHS Lothian.
2018. Edinburgh World Heritage, Our World Heritage Photographer
2017. Zero Tolerance ‘Violence Unseen’ commission
2017. Crisis UK Commission
2017. The Canal Project, Wester Hailes, City of Edinburgh Council
2016. Broomhouse Primary School, Artist in Residence
2016. St Andrews University Purchase Award 2015 (Menie Portfolio)
2013. Creative Scotland and Woodend Barn Bursary
2011. Ffotogallery: Artist in Residence
2012. ArtWorks, Artist residential at Hospitalfield House, Arbroath, Scotland
2012. Aberdeen City Council, International Photography Symposium in Regensburg, Germany
2012. Bursary to attend engage International SummerSchool, Helsinki, Finland
2012. British School at Rome Document Residency, Shortlisted
2012. Surfing the Don: A touring community photography exhibition.
2011. Ffotogallery, Blaenavon Photographer in Residence, 2011
2011. Everyone at Trongate 103, Project Ability, engage, PAMIS
2009. OMG, Peacock Visual Arts, Barnardos, Cashback for Creativity
2010. Aberdeen City Council, Visual Arts Award (film and video works)
2009. Project Slogan, Two week residency in artist run space, Aberdeen
2009. Street Level Photoworks, Bursary to attend Rhubarb-Rhubarb Review & Cultivate
2008. Aberdeen Arts Centre, Artist in Residence
2007. The Life and Times of Riddles Court, WEA Scotland