THE mother of an artist who died after battling cystic fibrosis has told of her joy at seeing her daughter's work brought together in an exhibition for the first time.
Helen Burns' daughter, Karly, died last year without ever seeing her artwork displayed in a solo exhibition, but her family have now managed to realise her dream thanks to visual arts programme Project Ability.
The 27-year-old's life work will be on display from 2pm today at the Trongate 103 gallery in Glasgow.
Mrs Burns, originally from Inverkip but now living in Glasgow, visited the gallery earlier this week to see the artwork set out, and described the visit as "emotional".
She said: "It was Karly's brother's suggestion to do it and I thought it was a great idea to get everyone together and keep her memory alive.
"It's quite emotional seeing all her work displayed, but it looks absolutely fantastic. Her artwork is a wonderful legacy."
Mrs Burns described Karly as an "inspiration" and said she never let her illness hold her back.
She added: "Her strength of character was quite incredible, her determination and motivation shone to inspire everyone, but what I miss terribly is her sense of humour.
"She had a wonderful sense of humour that just lifted you to a different place. We just laughed.
"She was my best friend, my soulmate, my shining star."
Karly, a Glasgow School of Art graduate, was a member of Project Ability for several years prior to her death, and completed a residency with the scheme in 2012-2013.
Lauren Currie, exhibition co-ordinator for the project, said: "Karly was an important member of Project Ability's community of artists and remains much missed, her steely determination and great fervour for painting was infectious.
"Karly had exhibited in our gallery before, in two group shows displaying work she had completed on our residency programme, yet we didn't get the chance to present a solo exhibition of Karly's work during her lifetime. This makes this momentary show even more marked and poignant.
"Karly was a very talented individual, leaving behind a bequest to be really proud of - a gift."
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