Joyce W. Cairns P.R.S.A. (b. 1947)

RA Collection: People and Organisations

Dr Joyce W. Cairns (b. 1947) is a Scottish painter and printmaker who studied at Grays School of Art, Aberdeen and the Royal College of Art, London. In 1976 she returned to Aberdeen where she taught Drawing and Painting at Grays School of Art until 2004 when she took early retirement to complete the vast body of work which culminated in ‘War Tourist’. It was exhibited for 3 months in 2006 at Aberdeen Art Gallery.

She has been exhibiting since 1969 and her work is held in numerous private and public collections, both here and abroad.

She was elected as Associated of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1985 and an RSA in 1998. In 2018 she was elected President of The Royal Scottish Academy, the first woman to hold post in 192 years.