Daria Zapala

Daria Zapala (Pala Island) is a contemporary visual artist whose practice exists at the intersection of process-led painting, semiotics, and environmental labor. With a dual-MFA background—including an MA in Printmaking from the University of Opole and an MLitt in Fine Art from the Glasgow School of Art—Zapala’s work is deeply informed by both academic theory and visceral experience.

Her current practice is heavily shaped by her work as a tree surgeon, where the physical rhythms of arboriculture and the structural language of nature merge with her interest in sound theory and animal symbolism. Rather than focusing on a central image, Zapala prioritizes the process—treating the canvas as a site where subconscious emotions and personal histories are decoded. A recipient of the Ranald & Jennifer May Postgraduate Painting Scholarship, she has worked with leading institutions such as the Glasgow Print Studio and the CCA, exhibiting her complex, "mosaic-like" visions both in the UK and internationally.

2021: MLitt (Master of Letters) in Fine Art Practice (Painting) with Merit, The Glasgow School of Art / University of Glasgow.

2005: MA in Fine Arts (Printmaking and Multimedia), Institute of Fine Arts, University of Opole, Poland.

2023: SHIFT Professional Development Programme, GSA / Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

2019: 3D Motion Graphics (Adobe After Effects), City of Glasgow College.

2007: Cert. Care of Paper & Photographic Collections, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh.

AWARDS and HONOURS

2020: The Ranald & Jennifer May Postgraduate Painting Scholarship (Major Award).

2023: Luxembourg Art Prize, Certificate of Artistic Achievement.

2022: The Butterbiggens Prize, Winner.

2019: The Herald, Grand Central Hotel Portrait Competition, Shortlisted Finalist.

2014: Saatchi Art 'Made in Britain' Collection, Selected by Chief Curator Rebecca Wilson.

2005: Degree Distinction, University of Opole, Poland.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019: World's Lost Enchantment, South Block Gallery (WASPS), Glasgow.

2019: Primavera, The Variety, Glasgow.

2016: BEABEAR, Bar Gandolfi Gallery, Glasgow.

2008: Infinity, Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2026: 127th SSA Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.

2025: Winter Exhibition / Big Summer Show, The Lemond Gallery, Bearsden.

2024: 126th Annual Exhibition | 30x30, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.

2021: Art of the Possible (COP26), Glasgow Art Club / GSA, Glasgow.

2021: Virtual Group Show, Shrine Gallery, New York, NY.

2013: 40/40: Landmark Exhibition, Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow.

2012: 8th British International Mini Print Exhibition, London Print Studio (UK Tour).

2011: Drawing Connections, Siena Art Institute, I...