EXHIBITIONS

Paisley Patterns

Davy Macdonald

Venue

The Dundas Street Gallery

Dates

15–23 Aug 2026

Time

10:00am · 480min

Price

Free

Contemporary Edinburgh artist Davy Macdonald presents a stunning new collection of abstract, conceptual and fine art paintings exploring the evolution and perpetuity of Paisley the place and paisley the pattern. The exhibition traces the enduring appeal, identity and cultural appropriation of the boteh form, from its Middle Eastern origins to its industrialisation when Paisley became the epicentre of a global trade, producing millions of shawls on Jacquard looms. The works reflect how paisley the pattern and Paisley the place have indelibly shaped one another. Through abstraction and deconstruction, Macdonald reveals the pattern’s enduring integrity and endless evolutionary possibilities.