Portraits of people who are rebuilding their lives in Scotland make up a new exhibition that has opened in Dumfries.
New Scots Portraits at Gracefield Arts Centre features people from around the world who have found safety and peace in Scotland after their lives were turned upside down by wars and other violent conflicts.
The collection includes people living right across Scotland, from the Western Isles to the Borders, and includes families from Afghanistan and Ukraine who are now settled in Dumfries.
Pauline Diamond Salim from Scottish Refugee Council helped curate the exhibition and said: “We wanted to show the way refugee resettlement in Scotland has changed over recent years. For a long time, most people seeking sanctuary lived in and around Glasgow. But over the last ten years or so, this has completely changed, with people now settling in almost every part of Scotland. We wanted to document this and acknowledge the support and welcome that communities across Scotland have shown to people rebuilding their lives here.
“We hope that people will find the exhibition uplifting and inspiring, and feel moved by the hope, determination and strength of ordinary people who have been forced to leave their homes and build new lives in safety in Scotland.”
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Photographer Angela Catlin, who has travelled around the world reporting on global human rights issues, added: “The people I met for this exhibition were full of positivity and hope for the future. Most people spoke about the friends and connections they’ve made in Scotland, and how much that helped them feel part of the community here.”
New Scots Portraits is part of Scottish Refugee Council’s 40th anniversary programme of events, celebrating four decades of refugee reception in Scotland.
It will run in the Cafe Gallery at Gracefield from January 28 to February 22.