My name is Alastair Faulkner and I’m an artist based in Dundee on Scotland’s glorious east coast. My day job is slightly different as I’m training to be a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon. I graduated with a degree in Medicine from The University of Edinburgh in 2012 and became a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MRCSEd) in 2016. I currently work in NHS Tayside.

As a largely self-taught artist, my last art qualification was a GCSE in Art and Design at Secondary School obtained in 2004. After pursuing photography for many years I returned to painting in 2016 and started capturing scenes around Scotland, particularly at the extremes of the day and at night. I also enjoy the challenge of painting portraits and attempting to capture a likeness.

I have received a number of commissions from clients within the UK and abroad including Dubai, Hong Kong,  and the USA. In September 2018 I undertook a portrait and figurative painting course at the prestigious Florence Academy of Art in Italy and have been published in the World of Interiors Magazine. I have also featured on the Stories section of the V&A Dundee website in the article “Making V&A Dundee: An artist’s museum”.

I became a member of the Scottish Society of Artists in 2020. My painting “Trauma” painted during the COVID-19 pandemic has been featured on numerous online and print media including the BBC and the book “Portraits for NHS Heroes” printed by Bloomsbury. It is currently on display at the Dundee Blood Donor Centre, Caird Hall, Dundee.

I competed in the 2018 series of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year and was the featured artist in Season 3, episode 1 of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Week.

I hope you enjoy my work as much as I have producing it! For more information on my art or to commission a work drop me a line at info@afaulknerart.com or read my blog “Bones and Brushes” for updates.

Exhibitions and appearances

• BBC Radio Scotland
  • Interview with Jackie Brambles on “Mornings” – 
  • Wednesday 7th July 2021
• BBC News 
  • ‘Perfect setting’ for Dundee trauma surgeon’s tribute to colleagues – Saturday 6th March 2021
• The Afternoon Show: BBC Radio Scotland 
  •  Monday 22nd February 2021
• Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Week: Season 3 Episode 1 
  •  Sunday 21st February 2021
• BBC Scotland – The Nine 
  •  Thursday 18th February 2021
• The Courier Weekend
  • ‘I got goosebumps’: Why a Dundee surgeon painted an artistic tribute to his NHS colleagues during lockdown’ – Saturday 12th December 2020
• Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Week
  • ‘Trauma’ – painting featured during Facebook Live transmission on Sky TV – Sunday 6th December 2020
• The Scottish Parliament
  • ‘Alastair Faulkner and Art from the Healthcare Frontline – motion ref. S5M-23488’ – Wednesday 25th November 2020
• BBC News
  • ‘Dundee trauma surgeon celebrates NHS colleagues in new artwork’ – Thursday 19th November 2020
• The Sunday Post
  • ‘NHS lifesavers’ toil on canvas: Surgeon unveils powerful portrait of his colleague on trauma ward’ – Sunday 15th November 2020
• The Courier 
  • ‘Dundee surgeon’s stunning artwork to be included in NHS charity book’ – Wednesday 11th November 2020
• Portrait for NHS Heroes Book
  • Published by Bloomsbury Caravel
• The Guardian Weekend
  • ‘Seeing the painting helped me heal’: the NHS workers captured on canvas – Saturday 7th November 2020
• Healthcare Heroes, Online Exhibition
  • Portrait for NHS Heroes
• Paisley Art Institute, 132nd Annual Open Exhibition, Paisley, Scotland
  • 25th July 2020 – 6th September 2020
• Inside Central Station, Episode 3, Glasgow, Scotland – portrait of JFK featured in the documentary
  • 17th May 2020
• British Orthopaedic Trainee Association Gala Dinner Auction, Edinburgh, Scotland – on behalf of World Orthopaedic Concern
  • 28th November 2019
• Grand Central Hotel Portrait Competition, Glasgow, Scotland 
  • 27th August 2019
• The Dundee Art Fair, Dundee, Scotland
  • 24th-26th May 2019
• British Orthopaedic Trainee Association Gala Dinner Auction, Newcastle, England 
  • 15th November 2018
• Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018, Fountain’s Abbey, Yorkshire. Wild Card Episode 1
  • October 2018
• Art Baho Barcelona, Spain Expo, Barcelona
  • 22nd – 26th September 2018
• Glasgow Contemporary Art Fair, Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow 
  • 11th-13th May 2018
• Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2018, Wallace Collection, London. Contestant Heat 8 
  • January – March 2018
• Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, London
  • November 2008 – February 2009