To celebrate International Women’s History month, we are sharing the stories of women in businesses within Byres Road and Lanes Business Improvement District.
We hope you enjoy Kirstine from Subversion Gallery’s West End story!
Subversion Gallery is based in Ruthven Mews arcade specialising in pop and urban art. They work with over 100 artists, the majority of whom are not represented by any other gallery in Scotland. The artworks are either original pieces or signed and numbered limited edition prints. They also offer a bespoke framing service for artworks purchased within the gallery.
Before opening Subversion Gallery, Kirstine Speirs moved to London in 1993. Kirstine worked in multi-site roles and head office positions for many high street retailers, such as The Body Shop and House of Fraser, but she had always planned to work for herself at some point. When Kirstine and her husband Graham returned to Glasgow in 2015, she decided that she wanted to finally be her own boss and indulge in her love for pop and urban art, and they opened Subversion Gallery in September 2015.
“Once I had decided to open the gallery, I only really considered the Byres Road area as a business location. Historically Byres Road and the West End were well known for its independent shops and we felt that our gallery would be a good fit within the area. We liked the buzz and slightly quirky edge. It was also handy for a quick glass of wine in Curlers after we closed!
I like the many different visitors that come into the gallery. Byres Road is still a real destination for overseas visitors and it’s great to talk to them about all that Glasgow has to offer. As the Byres Road area is also very residential we have many clients that pop in for a quick hello and to see what lovely new artworks have come into the gallery.”
Within the gallery, her favourite piece is Blofeld’s Cat by Trafford Parson.
“It’s a glorious large screen print of a big pink fluffy cat and is just the best! I actually bought it for myself years before we had the gallery. Trafford, the artist is now a good friend.”
In her spare time, Kirstine loves going to gigs and socialising with friends around the West End. She also loves cooking and getting stuck into a good Netflix box set. Her favourite shop to pop into in the area is Shearer’s Candles.
Subversion Gallery has a website (subversiongallery.co.uk), where visitors can browse and shop the gallery. They offer worldwide shipping and under normal circumstance offer a free buy and collect service for local clients. Visitors can also sign up for their monthly newsletter. Subversion Gallery is also on ShopAppy and are very social – follow them on Instagram and Facebook!
