Joe Hargan Artist CV
Joe Hargan Artist was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1952 and is widely recognised as one of the leading figures in contemporary Scottish art. He studied drawing and painting at the Glasgow School of Read more
Art from 1970–74 under influential Scottish artists Danny Ferguson, James Robertson and David Donaldson. This early training laid the foundation for the distinctive style that now defines Joe Hargan Art.
Since the early 1970s, Joe Hargan Artist has exhibited his contemporary paintings at many major institutions, including the Royal Glasgow Institute of Art, the Royal Scottish Academy of Art, the Royal Society of Watercolours, the Paisley Art Institute, the Royal Academy in London, the British Watercolour Society and the National Portrait Gallery. His long exhibition history reflects his status as a highly respected Scottish artist within both British art and international contemporary art circles.
A founder member of Group 81 Artists, Joe Hargan played a key role in exhibitions at the McLellan Galleries in Glasgow. He became a member of the Glasgow Art Club in 1981, joined the Paisley Art Institute in 1985 and was elected to its council the same year. In 1989 he was voted Chairman and President of the Paisley Art Institute, a position he held for eleven years — a testament to his influence on Scottish art.
In 1996, Joe Hargan Artist was awarded the prestigious Paisley Art Institute Diploma in recognition of both the quality of his paintings and his contribution to Scottish art. The Institute, founded in 1876, has long championed contemporary Scottish art through its annual exhibitions and the notable Scottish Drawing Competition.
Joe Hargan Art is celebrated for its bold colour, expressive character and remarkable diversity. His paintings follow the rich tradition of Scottish Colourist‑influenced work, yet remain unmistakably his own. One of the most recognisable elements of Joe Hargan Art is the recurring character “Sniffy,” who appears throughout his contemporary paintings and is now collected by art lovers worldwide. Over the years, Hargan has received numerous awards that highlight the breadth and originality of his talent.
Influences on Joe Hargan Artist range widely, from Italian Renaissance and Spanish masters to American abstract painters such as Rothko and Newman, as well as leading British artists including Francis Bacon, Sir Robin Philipson and David Donaldson. These diverse inspirations contribute to the depth and complexity of Joe Hargan Art.
Joe Hargan paintings have received many notable awards, including: Contemporary Painting Prize, Glasgow School of Art (1972); First Prize, National Competition, Stirling Smith Art Gallery (1978); Cargill Art Award, Royal Glasgow Institute (1982); Torrance Award, Royal Glasgow Institute (1984); Meyer Oppenheim Award, Royal Scottish Academy (1986); Hunting Art Group Prize, Mall Galleries (1988); Paisley Art Institute Award (1993); Contemporary Fine Art Award, Paisley Art Institute (2001); Maude Gemmell Hutchison Prize, Royal Scottish Academy (2002); and the William Bowie Award, Paisley Art Institute (2002).
Today, Joe Hargan Art is held in numerous private and corporate collections across Europe, the USA, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand and the UK. Collectors include the BBC, the Kuwait Royal Family, Flemings Bank and the Bloomberg Collection — further evidence of his international reputation as a leading Scottish artist.
Joe Hargan Artist has been exhibiting with Red Rag Gallery since 2004, and continues to be a key figure within the gallery’s Scottish art portfolio. In addition to Red Rag Scottish Art Gallery, Joe Hargan Art has been shown at many other leading Scottish art galleries. Every Joe Hargan painting at Red Rag is sourced directly from the artist’s studio, and — like all Red Rag British art and contemporary art — can be shipped worldwide.
