Kirstie Behrens (b.1991) is an award-winning artist and printmaker based in Pittenweem, Fife. A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in 2019, she has quickly established herself as one of the most distinctive young voices in contemporary Scottish printmaking. In 2021, she received the Roy Wood Prize for Printmaking, the Art in Healthcare Award and the W Gordon Smith & Jay Gordon Smith Award from the Royal Scottish Academy.
Working primarily in etching and drypoint, Behrens’ practice is rooted in close observation of the natural world, particularly the meeting points between land and water. Coastlines, forests, peat bogs and shifting weather systems become subjects through which she explores time, memory and transformation. Her work often incorporates time-based processes, allowing natural elements such as wind, rain, sea water and landscape itself to leave physical traces upon the surface of her prints, creating a dialogue between artist and environment.
Behrens is deeply drawn to the physical and meditative nature of traditional printmaking. Using etching needles to draw directly into grounded metal plates before immersing them in acid baths, she embraces the slow and unpredictable qualities of the medium. The resulting works balance precision with atmosphere, often capturing the quiet drama of trees, coastal light and remote Scottish landscapes. Her practice combines technical skill with an intuitive sensitivity to place, reflecting both careful observation and emotional response.
Since 2021, she has been Artist in Residence for the Manx Beauty Project in Cellardyke, a community initiative restoring the historic fishing boat Manx Beauty. The project has further deepened her engagement with coastal histories, material processes and the passage of time.
In 2025, Kirstie Behrens exhibited alongside her family in The Behrens Family at The Scottish Gallery, celebrating a remarkable multi-generational family of artists.
