The photographer who has won £15,000 prize for artist residency in whisky distillery

Clare Flynn has won the Glenfiddich Residency Award, which will see her take up a fully funded three-month residency at Glenfiddich Distillery in Moray in the summer, for her work inspired by the death of a childhood friend.

She is the first photographer to win the award in its 25 year history.

Ms Flynn will join artists from China, Taiwan, South Korean, Canada and Australia at the distillery in Dufftown. The residency project, supported by Glenfiddich’s owner William Grant & Sons, is one of the biggest privately funded residencies in the UK.

Working in a range of hospitality jobs when she left school, Ms Flynn later took a photography course at a local college. A lecturer there recommended that she apply to GSA.

Ms Flynn, 29, who graduated in 2025 from Glasgow School of Art with a degree in Fine Art Photography, said: “I couldn’t believe it when my name was read out. It’s just starting to sink in, it’s an amazing opportunity.”

The residency is awarded annually at the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition in Edinburgh, Scotland’s leading showcase of emerging art. Ms Flynn’s work for RSA New Contemporaries, The Fabric of Everything, was inspired by the death of her friend while she was studying GSA.

She said: “My friend passed away while I was at GSA and that really impacted my work. It made me a lot more introspective.

“I was exploring landscapes and seascapes, the transience of birds in flight and the expanse of the sea which connects the personal experience of grief to the universal.”

Andy Fairgrieve, co-ordinator of the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme, said: “The selection panel was immediately drawn by Clare’s strong sense of composition as well as the ethereal texture of her work which suggests both technical mastery and aesthetic understanding.

“Clare will be the first photographer selected for the programme from RSA New Contemporaries and will provide a perfect addition to the other five artists. We are delighted to welcome her to join our residency at Glenfiddich this summer.”

Colin Greenslade, director of the RSA, said: “As the Royal Scottish Academy celebrates its bicentenary year, we’re especially proud to continue our partnership with William Grant & Sons in supporting the next generation of artists through the Glenfiddich Award.

“This significant award offers an exceptional opportunity for an emerging artist to develop their practice through a fully supported residency. At a pivotal stage in an artist’s career, such meaningful investment provides both recognition and the freedom to experiment, reflect and grow.”

He added: “We’re deeply grateful to Glenfiddich for their longstanding commitment to contemporary Scottish art and for helping to shape the future of artistic practice in Scotland.”

Now in its 17th year, RSA New Contemporaries presents the work of 64 graduates selected from the degree shows at Scotland’s five art schools in 2025. It runs at the RSA building on the Mound, Edinburgh, until Wednesday 25th April.