“It’s [not] shite being Scottish”: Trackie McLeod’s Ode to his Scottish Roots

By Natascha Watt

“It’s shite being Scottish” is what Ewan McGregor’s character, Mark Renton, says in the cult-classic 1996 film adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting (1993). This and many other Scottish inspirations and references permeate Trackie McLeod’s work.

Trackie McLeod is a Glasgow based artist who uses Scottish humour and slang to explore his working-class upbringing as well as his queerness. Deeply rooted in his hometown and Scottishness, his works have been shown in recent exhibitions in Manchester and Lewes. For these, however, he had to slightly adapt the wording to ensure his message translated down south. Nevertheless, although his work is, as he says, “quite Scottish-centric”, the themes he explores – sexuality, class, masculinity – are universal and thus available to all.

McLeod does not fully remember how his nickname originated but he has been using it since 2014. Originally rejected from the Glasgow School of Art and thinking he would never be able to be a full-time artist, he eventually graduated from the School. Now he focuses on a variety of media such as video, sculpture, print, and textiles that take inspiration from the everyday, rooting his work in the world, wanting it to be relatable for the viewer.

Indeed, community is crucial for him, whether it be his own participation in the Boys Don’t Cry collective which explores questions surrounding masculinity, or in the way his artworks operate. Indeed, he has made several billboards, thus literally taking his art to the people by placing it in the streets rather than galleries or museums. He wants people to understand and connect with his work, and this is his ultimate goal. For example, his Boys will be…what we teach them to be (2025) billboards were placed across the UK. They mix nostalgia (another key feature of his work) in the Nokia-like lettering with pop culture through the use of Charli XCX’s brat green. These went viral and people very much engaged with them, teachers even using them as starting points for classroom discussions around online misogyny, lad culture and male role models.

Trackie McLeod, Boys will be…what we teach them to be, 2025. Artist with billboard. Image courtesy of BBC.

The artist also pays homage to Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting in his adaptation of the film’s poster. In his version, Trainwreck (2022), the cast are replaced with the Tory Prime Ministers from David Cameron to Rishi Sunak. The text at the top reads “The Party is Over”, probably a reference to Partygate which occurred over lockdown, when Tory politicians, including then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, partook in parties at No. 10 Downing Street which blatantly disregarded Covid restrictions in place at the time. Additionally, it is possibly also a commentary on how the Conservative Party has been losing support, as seen in the 2024 General Election results. Indeed, the ship is sinking: McLeod’s Trainwreck is “From the makers of Titanic.”

Trackie McLeod, Trainwreck, 2022. Artist with billboard. Image courtesy of Glasgow Times.

Trackie McLeod has also ventured into clothing, making a t-shirt that reads “Thank F**k I’m Scottish” sported by Scottish actor James McAvoy, which has enabled him to reach wider audiences.

Although deciding against moving to London, McLeod has exhibited down south. In Manchester, he created a fully functioning pub for UTOPIA (19 – 21 February 2026, Aviva Studios, Factory International), reminiscent of an old working men’s club as well as of a youth centre, in which people could gather, as well as attend gigs or drag nights. All of this was intended to foster creativity in the community. He also tapped into nostalgia for his exhibition in Lewes, at Charleston in Lewes (which is connected to the Bloomsbury Group’s Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant’s country house Charleston). In Soft Play (15 October 2025 – 12 April 2026), he exhibited elements of children’s playground but added barbed wire to them, recalling prisons as well as abandoned sites, making the subject matter much more loaded and complex. It is for this show that he had to sacrifice the inclusion of Scottish patter and references, making an exception for the phrase “no wee dafties”, although some people did ask him the meaning of this at the show’s opening.

Not wanting to sacrifice his roots, he is nonetheless aware that, like with any other culture or country, certain references ultimately act like inside jokes. Thus, although he may change their wording, the spirit of his works remains the same in its exploration of his working-class upbringing and questions around sexuality and (toxic) masculinity. He has also collaborated with Scottish as well as international brands such as Irn-Bru and Nike.

His ultimate aim is for galleries and institutions to be accessible to everyone, as he himself often felt left out of such spaces as a queer working-class man. McLeod’s Instagram (@trackiemcleod) is well worth a browse.

Bibliography

BBC. “Partygate: A timeline of the lockdown parties.” March 21, 2023. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59952395.

Factory International. “An Introduction to Trackie McLeod.” Accessed April 2, 2025. https://factoryinternational.org/factoryplus/an-introduction-to-trackie-mcleod/.

 Greater Govanhill. “Behind the Portrait: Trackie McLeod.” Interview by Rhiannon J Davies. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.greatergovanhill.com/latest/behind-the-portrait-trackie-mcleod.

Henry, Molly. “Artist turns Glaswegian nostalgia into gallery art.” BBC Scotland, November 14, 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjdyq7l6jjo.

Metal Magazine. “Trackie McLeod: Critical Play through Art.” Interview by Isaac Crown Manesis. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/trackie-mcleod.

Curtice, John Sir and Lovisa Moller Vallgarda. “How the value divide is challenging Britain’s two-party system.” National Centre for Social Research, December 20, 2024. https://natcen.ac.uk/how-value-divide-challenging-britains-two-party-system