Shona Macnaughton (she/her) is an artist based in Glasgow. Mainly working in performance, each live event is structured around a state, institutional or labour process. Collaging contemporary character archetypes of tone and movement with political histories, her performances involve the failure of interaction and a participative tension, which result in pathologically awkward encounters.
Shona completed her MFA at Edinburgh College of Art in 2009. From 2011–2017 she was part of the collective Eastern Surf, exhibiting and performing internationally with a focus on digital technology and processes of gentrification. From 2009–2011 she was co-director of artist-run Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh.
She is currently undertaking practice-based PhD research at Northumbria University.
Shona has performed and exhibited nationally and internationally in visual art venues, theatres, public space and online platforms. Selected previous projects include: The Participatory Clinic at Glasgow Women’s Library 2025; Here To Deliver, performed internationally, commissioned by Edinburgh University’s Contemporary Art Collection 2020; Progressive, solo presentation at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh as part of NOW 6, 2019; Mandatory Reconsideration, Parse Journal, Gothenburg, Sweden 2019; We Nurture, Collective, Edinburgh 2018-19; The Universal School Girl, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh and Jerwood Space, London, 2016.
Her work is part of Edinburgh University’s Contemporary Art Collection.
Residencies include: An Exchange of Method, Collective and Artlink, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2017; Research residency with Eastern Surf, Hangar Art Centre, Barcelona, Spain, 2015; Selected Summer Programme Residency, Hospitalfield, Arbroath, Scotland, 2014.
Recent writing include in Variant Magazine, 2025; The Contemporary Journal of Painting, 2025; Performance in a Pandemic, Routledge, UK, 2021; Platform Journal of Performing Art, Royal Holloway College, London, UK, 2020 ; Art Without Space, Oaza Books, Zagreb, 2020; Revista MESA Art_Care, Rio de Janeiro, 2018. Her first book ‘Here to Deliver’ was published in 2022 by University of Edinburgh Art Collection.
Exhibitions and Projects
2025
The Participatory Clinic
Performance event, curator and performer
Glasgow women's Library
2024
What if we all knew
Performance festival
LARGE, Academy of Fine Arts, Prague
Creative Discharge
Performance for event as part of 'The Fourth Wall exhibition by Phillip Ewe
Strangefield, Glasgow
What Some Women Did
Performance
Seen and Unseen, Carole Rhodes Symposium, Glasgow School of Art
Give Your Thoughts and Win
Performance/workshop
School of Culture & Creative Arts, Glasgow University
2023
Talented Grants
Performance and essay
Broadside, Glasgow
Public Consultation
Performance
Various - Dissenter Space and Summerhall, Edinburgh
2022
Here To Deliver
Book launch and performance
David Dale Gallery
2021
Here to Deliver
Moving image work
Commissioned by Edinburgh University Art Collection
Performance in a Pandemic
Essay contribution to volume
Routledge, 2021
Life Support
Group Exhibition
Glasgow Women's Library, August 2021
2020
Here to Deliver
Durational Performance
Various Glasgow commissioned by Edinburgh University Contemporary Art Collection and 'Platforming Creativity' research project
NOW 6
Solo presentation
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.
Pre ramble
Performance
David Dale Gallery, Glasgow
2019
Aquatic Needs
Performance for 12-Hour Non-State Parade
Cooper Gallery, Dundee
Mandatory Reconsideration
Performance for Eastern Promise Festival
Platform, Easterhouse
Never off/work
Performance for Parse Journal Art and Work edition
Valand Academy at Skogen theatre, Gothenburg
We Nurture
Performance
Collective, Edinbrugh
2018
We Nurture
Publication
Collective, Edinburgh
Cabinet Interventions
Group Exhibition
Pollok House, Glasgow International Festival
2017
Bodybuilding
Group Exhibition
Market Gallery, Glasgow
Live/Work
Group Exhibition
Open House Festival, Glasgow
ilovemyjob
Online performance with Eastern Surf
commissioned by net.cube gallery, Zagreb, Croatia
2016
Arm’s Length Government Body
Solo Presentation
Céline, Glasgow
Blend the acclaim of your chant with the Timbrels
Performance Event
Jerwood Space, London
The Scottish Endarkenment. Art and Unreason. 1945 to Present
Group Exhibition
Dovecot, Edinburgh
When slaves love one another, it’s not love
Screening
AVPC 2016: Visual Pedagogies and Digital Cultures. Zagreb, Croatia.
Isn’t it wonderful there in the brightness
Screening
Edinburgh Artists’ Moving Image Festival
2015
Notes From Technotopia
Group Exhibtion
Gallery II and Black Dogs, Bradford
Accept The Mystery!
Performance event with Eastern Surf
The Northern Charter, Newcastle
Pastoral Futures
Reading group event as part of ‘How to write: Reading Groups’
Five Years, London
Compass Festival
performance and workshop
Compass Live Arts, Leeds
Counterpoint
Group Exhibition
Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh
Education
2023-
PhD candidate Northumbria University
2007 - 09
MFA Sculpture Edinburgh College of Art
2003 - 06
BA Fine Art Bournemouth Arts Institute
2005
Iceland Academy of the Arts, Reykjavik
Colophon
Design and Development: Romulus Studio
Font: Calibre by Klim