Ashley Hanson

Ashley Hanson is an award-winning abstract painter inspired by the city and the sea. Mixing exotic colours with expressive compositions, Ashley tackles the tightrope between freedom and control and the space between abstraction and figuration. Finding balance through shape and colour is the essence of his practice.

Ashley Hanson’s Early Career and Influences

Born in Blackpool in 1960, Ashley initially studied architecture in Manchester before deciding to be a painter after seeing a Peter Lanyon retrospective at the Whitworth Art Gallery. Ashley trained at Canterbury College of Art (1980–83), graduating with a Fine Arts degree before moving to London. Ashley showed with the London Group and accepted 2nd Prize in the Hunting Art Prizes. In 1993, he participated in a Triangle Artists Workshop in New York, hosted by Sir Anthony Caro. He later received a Boise Travel Scholarship from Slade, which resulted in his ‘Americascapes’ series inspired by a string of train journeys across the US. The series was featured at the Morley and Woodlands galleries in London and presented in a solo exhibition at the Michael West Gallery, IOW.

Colour and Shape

Ashley draws viewers in with vibrant flashes of colour and texture. Using a wet-on-wet approach to oil painting, his liquid layering and striking shades and hues create chaotic, labyrinthian visuals. Although inspired by real monuments, journeys or books, his paintings take on a life of their own - full of possibilities.

Exhibitions and Awards

Ashley continues to work from Cornwall. A member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, he has a growing national exhibition record, including Linden Hall Studio, Modern Artists Gallery, Belgrave St. Ives, the Campden Gallery, Edgar Modern, and Thomson’s Gallery, London. His paintings have been selected for the RA Summer Exhibition, the Discerning Eye, the National Open Art Competition, and the Ludlow Open. The Hunting Art Prize also shortlisted his works.