ASHLEY

Born in 1948 in Great-Britain
Lives and works in France

Born nearby the megalithic site of Stonehenge, Ashley has retained his fascination for those structures of stone and circles of earth, that would inform his work as an artist. After studying at the College of Art in his native Salisbury, the artist moved to France in 1967. He has received many accolades, including the Grand Prix Paul Ackerman de la Recherche Plastique (2002) and the Fondation Taylor’s Grand Prix Renée Béjà (2005). In the tradition of Antoni Tàpiès, he has been working with matter for nearly 40 years. His paintings with relief are evocative of “the original story of Man’s fascination for the natural forces which was written in letters of earth and stone”. In the artist’s oeuvre, successive layers of stone and cement seal and preserve the mystery of the narratives he describes.