Harrison Dilks

The award winners will receive a £1,000 cash prize and their work will feature in an exhibition over a 12-month period in public reception areas and meeting rooms at the firm’s Bothwell Street office in Glasgow.

The three year partnership also includes funding two annual bursary places on the GSA’s portfolio preparation programme, a well-established route supporting students to secure places at the GSA and on other creative degree programmes.

Over three years the Pinsent Masons Portfolio Preparation Bursaries will help six people from non-traditional backgrounds to build strong portfolios which will support their applications to art schools, colleges or universities.

The first winner of the inaugural Pinsent Masons Fine Art Photography Prize is talented photographer Harrison Dilks, whose work is now on display in the law firm’s office alongside the contributions of 21 other GSA fine art photography students.

Through documentary, narrative and experimental photography, Harrison’s work is said to pose questions around photography’s nature of representation, and utilises print and installation formats to explore photography’s physical nature.

All the GSA works in the Pinsent Masons exhibition are for sale, and while there is no particular theme, they embrace students’ concerns with gender, representation, identity, loss, the climate crisis and contemporary life.

Artist and visiting GSA fine art photography lecturer, Lorna Macintyre, curated the works which feature in the exhibition and assisted Pinsent Mason staff in judging the award entries.

Pinsent Masons head of facilities UK and Ireland, Luke Richards, said: “As part of our responsible business philosophy we work with local communities in each of the 27 global locations in which we operate, and as a firm we have a long-standing tradition of supporting the arts and artists.

“We are delighted to be able to showcase emerging arts students through our fine art photography award and to fund bursaries which support people from under-represented groups who undoubtedly have talent, but may just need a bit of assistance in finding the right path towards college or university.”

Partner and head of Glasgow Office, Barry McCaig, added: “Glasgow School of Art is internationally celebrated for its contribution across the artistic spectrum, but is also very much part of the fabric and soul of Glasgow. It seemed the obvious choice to develop this partnership with GSA and the exhibition is a welcome new dimension to our Glasgow office and proving popular with staff and visitors alike.”

Professor Penny Macbeth, director of The Glasgow School of Art, added: “At the GSA we are committed to people having an equal opportunity to access a creative education. Our well-established portfolio programme helps many potential students develop their skills and progress to further study.

“We are grateful to Pinsent Masons for their support for our vital work in this area and are also grateful for the support offered to our Fine Art photography students, both for the generous award for the winner and the opportunity for shortlisted students to show their work. Our congratulations go to Harrison Dilks, the first winner of the award.”