Jack in his studio
We’re delighted to announce that local artist Jack Dunnett will be LAC’s Mimesis Artist in Residence!
Jack Dunnett is an artist born and raised in Caithness, growing up in Thurso. He studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen and has since lived and worked in Glasgow and London, undertaking residencies in the UK and France. Recently, he was invited to present his paintings at the Royal Scottish Academy as part of Frontiers: Contemporary Painting in Scotland Now, where he also delivered a talk on the future of painting in Scotland. His work was also shown at Aberdeen Art Gallery as part of the Gordon Contemporaries exhibition.
Exhibiting both nationally and internationally, his most recent solo exhibition at Unlimited Corporation in Edinburgh explored themes of memory, shared narratives, and human interaction. Jack currently maintains a studio in Caithness.
The Vain Ambition of Simplicity, oil on canvas board
Jack said ‘I’m delighted to be part of this project with Lyth Arts Centre and the University of Manchester. Caithness: its land, its layered history, and its evolving present, has long inspired my work. Exhibiting in the building that was once my father’s primary school feels especially appropriate too with these thoughts about the past and the present coming together and how places evolve over time.
I’m excited to be part of the project and can’t wait to see how it unfolds. Working with the team, engaging with the community, and exploring the stories, landscapes and impact of Caithness promises to be a fascinating journey.’
The project itself explores how communities imagine and plan for ecological and societal futures in places connected to nuclear decommissioning. Caithness, home to the Dounreay nuclear site, is one of four case-study regions across the UK and Europe.
The University of Manchester’s Mimesis in Action project is particularly interested in how people imagine potential futures; both human and more-than-human. Through ethnographic fieldwork, local workshops, and exhibitions, the research explores the stories that animate places like Caithness and how these narratives reflect the hopes, fears, and assumptions that shape how communities plan for and care for future living environments connected to nuclear sites.
The exhibition of Jack’s final work will open at Lyth Arts Centre from Wednesday 25th March 2026.
For more info and associated events, please click here
Keep an eye out on our socials for updates on Jack’s progress
Check out Jack’s Instagram page here
Tell Your Sister, oil on canvas board
