Skye Tide by Lukas Kroulik

I’m delighted to share that my work Tide will be part of Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling, presented by Visual Arts Scotland at the beautiful Maclaurin Art Gallery, 28 March – 27 May 2026.

The Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr, Scotland, is a highly regarded regional institution known for holding one of the best collections of 20th and 21st-century art in the country. Located in Rozelle Park, it is famous for hosting significant exhibitions, including those from the Royal Scottish Academy and the Society of Scottish Artists.

Key Aspects of Its Reputation:

• Collection: Features a significant collection of modern art, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures from national and international artists.

• Exhibitions: Regularly hosts high-profile exhibitions, including the Society of Scottish Artists' annual show.

• Cultural Significance: Houses the 54-piece 'Tam o' Shanter' series by Alexander Goudie at nearby Rozelle House.

• Partnerships: Works with organizations like the Royal Scottish Academy to display esteemed artworks.

• Accreditation: Rozelle House, where the gallery is based, is an accredited museum, meeting UK standards for collections management. 

It is widely considered a key cultural venue in South Ayrshire, attracting visitors for its diverse exhibitions, workshops, and events, according to Destination South Ayrshire. 

Tide by Lukas Kroulik, 2026

Tide, Skye Tide, photographed on the Isle of Skye — a mesmerizing, mysterious piece shaped by wind, water, and time, presented in a wooden tray.

Tide by Lukas Kroulik, 2026

This mixed-media piece — a photograph from the Isle of Skye printed on Fuji gloss archival paper, embedded in eco-resin and presented in a wooden tray — reflects my ongoing fascination with Scotland’s landscape, folklore, and the stories carried by the sea.

Scotland’s myths and legends have travelled far beyond its shores, and it feels especially meaningful to exhibit a work inspired by Skye within this exhibition exploring how folklore continues to evolve.

Antarctica 2026

I had a vision — and this is just the beginning.

Standing on Elephant Island, I kept thinking about Frank Hurley — not a sailor, but an artist among explorers, hauling large-format glass-plate cameras across ice and wind to document the expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton. He built darkrooms in extreme conditions, protected fragile negatives, and carried the surviving plates back to the UK so the world could witness Antarctica. Today, I photographed Dominic Houlder here in colour — intentionally — as a dialogue with Hurley’s legacy.

A story of hope, endurance, art and belief in the impossible.

Dominic Houlder and the Houlder flag by Mount Frank Houlder, Elephant Island, Antarctica - photographed by Lukas Kroulik, January 2026.

Here I have juxtaposed two images. On the right, against the green wall, the original 1914 photograph by Frank Hurley of the “Mount Frank Houlder” named by the Boss himself after Frank on the Elephant Island, Antarctica, with a handwritten dedication to Frank Houlder from Sir Ernest Shackleton. I took that image years ago because I couldn’t get over how deeply it moved me — the gratitude, the loyalty, the human bond behind the expedition.

On the left, my photograph from Elephant Island — created in dialogue with that moment in history. Not to replicate it, but to stand beside it. The juxtaposition is my way of holding past and present together — art, survival, friendship — and letting the emotion travel across time.

The London Group Open 2025

I am thrilled to share with you that I have been selected to exhibit at the upcoming The London Group Open 2025.

Copeland Gallery, Saturday 8th – Sunday 23rd November 2025, open daily 11am - 5pm.

This is a truly special moment: The London Group was founded in 1913, making it one of the oldest artist-led societies in the world.

The London Group was formed by artists including the likes of Walter Sickert, Jacob Epstein, Wyndham Lewis and others who came together to challenge the conservative art establishment of the time. Throughout its long history it has remained democratically governed, open to all artistic disciplines and committed to advancing public awareness of contemporary visual art.

Title of my work: Transformation — a piece that speaks to current challenges, change, renewal, and beauty in the contemporary world.

Transformation by Lukas Kroulik, C-Type Fuji Flex, in a one-off handmade frame crafted from recycled plastic bottles collected in Soho, (H) 40cm (W) 55cm (D) 2cm

Transformation is a photographic print framed in a bespoke surround crafted from recycled plastic bottles—collected from the streets of Soho and formed into a marble-like structure in collaboration with the design studio Are You Mad. The image, shot in Bhutan as part of a climate awareness project, presents a pile of plastic waste rendered in colour-negative to shift the narrative from destruction to a positive vision of transformation. Printed by (an end to end carbon neutral service) theprintspace - the UK’s first Fine Art & Photo printing service that is completely carbon neutral.

The piece invites reflection on material transformation: waste reimagined as art, and recycling reframed as resilience and hope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9rVF358pFU

My photo frames are made in London of recycled plastic waste collected from businesses in Soho.

The Open Artists' Talks 2 - 4pm 9th and 23rd November 2025

Each artist will talk about their practice as it relates to their work in the exhibition. There will also be questions and opportunities for open discussions.

The 9th November will be facilitated by Gary Clough LG (London Group) and the 23rd November by Ian Parker LG.

9 Nov	23 Nov
Stephen Carley LG	Naty Lopez-Holguin
Sandy Layton	Stathis Dimitriadis LG
Sumi Perera LG	Blandine Martin
Geoffrey Howe	Sato Sugamoto
Neil Weerdmeester LG	Paul Bonomini LG
Lukas Kroulik	Johnathan  Armour LG
	Paul Tecklenberg LG

The London Group Open Prize Sponsors

Non-Member-Exhibitor-Press-Release.pdf

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