Art Studios in Glasgow, London and Lisbon: Reflections from Working in All Three
Over the last decade I've lived and worked as an artist in many cities, but predominantly Dundee, Glasgow, London and Lisbon. Each city has influenced my practice in different ways, but perhaps nothing has affected it more consistently than the spaces I've worked in. Studios determine scale, ambition, routine and community. They can influence who you meet, what opportunities arise and, sometimes, whether you can continue making work at all.
The question of finding an affordable, dedicated studio space has become increasingly important for many artists as rents continue to rise across the UK, Europe and beyond. While I haven’t experienced first hand every studio provider in these cities, I thought it might be useful to share my own experiences of the ones I have and some of the notable artist studio organisations available if you're considering making a move or even embarking on a residency in any one of these locations.
Lisbon
I lived and worked in Lisbon for five years and within that time held two studios. The first stop gap space was a 3 metre square corner of an open plan commercial space that I shared with four other artists, called Espaço 62. I believe it is still there, alive and kicking just a few minutes walk from the Avenida de Liberdade and Praça de Alegria where I spent almost every morning and lunch times drinking coffee and basking in the sun (literally loved every second).
My tiny 3-square-metre corner at Espaço 62 in Lisbon. It was small but we made it work for two years!
The second, and at the time by far the most exciting studio I had taken on since leaving art school, was a bright 22-square-metre space on the first floor of the vibrant LX Factory. To secure it, I patiently waited almost three years on the waiting list!
At the time, Lisbon still felt quite affordable for artists, with a slower pace of life than London, and for a while I genuinely thought it might become my forever home. LX Factory offered a wonderful environment in which to work. Surrounded by designers, makers, restaurants and independent businesses, it had a real sense of community. It also became an ideal place to teach art classes and connect with visitors and collectors from around the world.
Like many creative cities, however, Lisbon has changed significantly in recent years. Rising property prices have affected artists here too, and over time many of the studios within LX Factory have given way to retailers, design agencies, architectural practices and clothing boutiques. While it remains an inspiring place to visit, the balance between creative community and commercial development has definitely shifted the vibe for fine artists (or at least it did for me). This is not the reason I ultimately left Lisbon but it remains a conversation I have with fellow artists and friends who still live and work there.
My studio at LX Factory, Lisbon, where I was based between 2020 and 2022.
Notable artist studios in Lisbon
LX Factory
Hangar, Centro de Investigação Artística
Atelier Concorde
Carpintarias de São Lázaro
PADA Studios (Barreiro)
Arroz Estúdios
Atelier RE.AL
It’s also possible to find commercial spaces via real estate sites or private listings on Facebook. For me, Lisbon had a good balance between quality of life and affordability, though that balance has become increasingly fragile. As a British citizen, I also over time felt the draw back from not having access to UK based open calls funding opportunities and government support for business growth and the arts. Naturally being European you can apply for EU based opportunities but being a foreigner abroad locks you out of a lot of opportunities in both countries.
For me personally, this became one of the factors that eventually drew me back to the UK, where the breadth of artist-led organisations, public funding and professional development opportunities opened more doors for my practice that Portugal could.
London
Although I never rented a long-term studio in London, I spent a year studying at the Royal College of Art and briefly explored studio options afterwards. London remains one of the most exciting art capitals in the world. Access to museums, galleries, talks and opportunities is unparalleled. But studio space comes at a price. Even during my time there, finding affordable space felt increasingly difficult. Many artists shared studios, worked from home or relied on temporary arrangements.
Notable artist studios in London
ACME Studios
ASC Studios
Bow Arts
SPACE Studios
Thames-Side Studios
Vanguard Court Studios
Gasworks Studios
Cell Studios
My Studio at The Royal College of Art (2022).
Glasgow
Today I am based in Glasgow and currently have a studio with WASPS.
Glasgow has long had a reputation for supporting artists, helped by relatively affordable rents, strong institutions and a culture that values making. Compared with London, there is a sense that space itself remains possible. While I still miss Lisbon and London and what those cities have to offer, Glasgow has opened up the opportunity to obtain a larger studio that is still affordable making maintaining an ambitious practice a little easier without quite as much restraint when dealing with overall living costs.
Notable artist studios in Glasgow
WASPS
Glasgow Sculpture Studios
The Briggait
Many Studios
South Block
Market Gallery (project space)
Transmission Gallery
Outlandish Arts
My current studio at Wasps, 77 Hanson Street, Glasgow where Slow Burn Studio is also taking its first steps in the city!
The Studios In Between
Just for fun I took a trip down memory lane and dug up more studios I have inhabited over the years and a few of them I’d even forgotten about. Looking back, they remind me that an artist's practice is often built across countless temporary spaces rather than a single perfect studio.
BA Studio, Duncan of Jordanstone College of art & Design (2010-2014)
My first BA studio after the Foundation Year at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.
OCAD University, Toronto (2012)
While studying on exchange at OCAD University in Toronto (2012), an empty classroom routinely became my unofficial studio, once classes had finished for the day and everyone had gone home, I'd make the space my own and no one seemed to mind!
MFA Studio 1, Dundee (2014–2015)
A corner of a shared studio while completing my MFA in Dundee.
MFA Studio 2, Dundee (2014–2015)
My second MFA studio at Duncan of Jordanstone, where the degree show began to take shape.
Artist Residency, Kenya (2016)
Two months working within the Tafaria Foundation residency. A reminder that sometimes a studio is simply borrowed time and space.
Bedroom Studio, Oxfordshire (2023–2024)
After leaving London, my studio was a small bedroom and an easel of our rented cottage in Watlington. Consistency definitely mattered more than square footage! From that space I made most of my Rest in Limbo series that made up my first solo show in London.
Landlord’s Dining Room, Oxfordshire (2024-25)
For a period between 2024-25, I found myself making work in my very kind landlord’s dining room before and after work! Not ideal, but I was grateful as I had nowhere else to go at the time!
No Studio At All
There have also been periods where I had no permanent studio at all. Sketchbooks in cafés, spare rooms, dining rooms, bedroom desk and long stretches of waiting.
Final Thoughts
Every city has offered something different, and every studio has shaped my practice in its own way.
Looking back through old photographs while writing this article, I realised that no matter where I was, simply having somewhere to make work always made me happy. Not every studio was perfect, but whenever I had the opportunity to gather everything into one space I could call my own, my practice seemed to flourish.
I know my current studio in Glasgow most likely will not be my forever studio, but I'm incredibly grateful for it. I have a feeling that, years from now, I'll look back on it not only as my first studio in the city, but also as the place where the first physical chapter of Slow Burn Studio began.
