An Tobar and SSA Present Life With Water

In collaboration with the Society of Scottish Artists (SSA), An Tobar and Mull Theatre will presentLife With Water, a new group exhibition opening this summer. Bringing together artists from across Scotland and beyond, the works in the exhibition reflect on the ocean as both subject and setting.

Situated in the Hebrides, the Isle of Mull is a place where land and sea are in constant dialogue.Life With Water responds to this dynamic, using art to explore the deep and complex relationship between people and the marine environment. The exhibition encourages visitors to consider how the sea shapes identity, memory and community—both locally and globally.

Through painting, sculpture, installation, digital media and interdisciplinary works, participating artists consider the ocean as a site of memory, motion, conflict and change. Informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, the exhibition touches on urgent environmental issues, offering space for reflection on climate change, ecological loss, and the human impact on marine ecosystems.

Frank To, Co-President of SSA comments,We are pleased to have this opportunity to showcase the SSA members’ interpretations UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. This exhibition at An Tobar will demonstrate not only the artistic merit of our professional members, but our overall dedication to showcase social engaging and environmental issues which are current in today’s society.

Located in the heart of Tobermory, An Tobar has long served as a cultural hub for Mull. This exhibition continues its commitment to showcasing contemporary work that speaks to local realities while engaging with national and international themes.Life With Water also highlights the role of the arts in fostering environmental awareness and promoting sustainable practices.

The exhibition positions An Tobar as a vital space for contemporary environmental discourse in Scotland, creating connections between artistic practice and ecological thought, between the island and the wider world. The works inLife With Water speak to global environmental urgency as well as the local experience of living on and with the sea.

Calum Hall, Head of Visual Arts comments,I’m absolutely thrilled to be curatingLife With Water with the Society of Scottish Artists. This exhibition feels like a beautifully integrated and thoughtful origin story — one that brings together community, global ideas, and artistic expression in a way that’s both deeply grounded and wonderfully expansive. What excites me is the ethical framework underpinning the show — rooted in UN Sustainability Goal 14: Life Below Water. It’s a foundation that invites reflection on everything from marine biodiversity and islander experiences to global trade routes, myths, memory, and the metaphysical. There’s huge creative scope here — the theme invites rather than confines.

As part of the exhibition, a parallel online show and shop, 30 x 30, will run concurrently. This open call invites submissions from SSA Professionals, artists, graduates and student members, offering an additional platform for artistic engagement and dialogue.

Main Image: Courtesy of Life With Water - Kyra Clegg

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