Rachel Bride Ashton
Education
2024 – 2026, MLitt (Masters), Creative Writing, University of Aberdeen
2019 – 2022, First Class BA (Hons), Fine Art, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee
2018 – 2019, NC Music, North East Scotland College, Aberdeen
1993 – 1994, NC Art and Design, Glasgow College of Building and printing, Glasgow
Residencies
September 2023, Group Residency at Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Lumsden
June 2023, Residency with Freelands Foundation at Porthmeor Studios, St Ives, Cornwall
April 2017 – May 2018, Walking Without Walls, Digital Residency with Palestinian artist May Murad in Gaza, Deveron Projects, Huntly
Prizes
- 2022, Dundee Contemporary Art (DCA) Prize
- 2022, Generator Projects Prize
- 2022, James Guthrie Orchar Prize
- 2022, Freelands Painting Prize
Publications
- 2025, illustrated Three Tens – Collaborative book publication, Stickman Press
- 2023, wrote Invisible and Deviant Mothers: Childbirth in Visual Culture, Boom Publications
- 2015, illustrated The Story of Mouse – Collaborative book publication, Stickman Press
Talks, Memberships and Events
- 2024 – 2026, runs ‘Creative Continuum’, A monthly event for creative freelancers, Aberdeen Arts Centre
- 2024, founding member of Freelance Independents North East (FINE)
- 2021, DJCAD’s IN-GEAR Conference for Woman’s History Month, presented paper – ‘Patriarchal Appropriation and Medicalisation of Childbirth in Contemporary Visual Art and Media Culture’
- 2021, Founding Member of new research forum for Intersectional Gender Equality in the Arts Research (IN-GEAR)
- 2021, founding member of Original Copy Collective
- 2019, Church Dundee, Performed in Fleeting Motions – A Show Case of Performance Art
- 2019, Album Release and Launch ‘Repair’, Huntly Library
- 2019, Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Lunchtime Talks at the Maritime Museum, Aberdeen – Presented ‘A Transcultural Exchange’
- 2018, The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh Arts Festival – Art, Borders and Migration – presented ‘Walking Without Walls’
- 2018, Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts, Austria – Global Academy II, Examples of Transcultural Exchange – Presented ‘Walking Without Walls’ as a Pecha Kucha
- 2018, ‘Walking Without Walls’, Tate Modern, London – Film included in Tate Exchange Programme Presented by Cornerstone Arts
- 2018, Pathmakers’ Gathering Symposium, Deveron Projects, Huntly – Presented ‘Walking Without Walls’
- 2018, Twin Slow Marathon in Huntly and Gaza with Palestinian artist May Murad
- 2015, Managed ‘The Art Room’, Huntly
- 2014, Featured on Sky TVs ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’
- 2007 – present day, co-founded and established five-acre off-grid forest garden and small holding
- 2002 – 2007, Founded and directed Northern Eye Gallery, Ceres, Fife
- 2002 – 2018, Led workshops, classes, walks in oil painting, intuitive painting, abstract painting, egg tempera, sketchbooking, natural paint-making, clay oven and rocket stove building, healing weeds, plant journaling and scything
Collections
The Town Collection, Huntly
ConocoPhillips, Rubislaw House, Aberdeen
Various private collections in the UK, Bahamas and United States
Solo Exhibitions
2023, Federation Gallery, Dundee – Warm Data, Wet Heap
2023, Wasps, Inverness Creative Academy – The All-Forgiving Greenness
2022, The Monstrous Feminine, DJCAD, Dundee
2022, Dynamo, Dundee
2018, Deveron Projects, Huntly – Walking Without Walls
2015, The Art Room, Huntly
2015, The Gallery, Elgin Library, Elgin – Repair
2015, 2014 NEOS, The Bothy, Knock
2013, NEOS The Old Shop, Huntly
2013, Larks Gallery, Ballater
2011, Touched by Scotland, Insch
1999, 2013, Still Life Studio, Aberlour
2005, 2006, The Blue Door Gallery, Pittenweem
2002, 2004, 2006, Northern Eye Gallery, Ceres
2000, Insomnia, Glasgow – Postnatal Impression
Group Exhibitions
2024, Hidden Door Arts, Venue Warming Event, The Paper Factory, Edinburgh
2024, Detail Gallery, Edinburgh – Summer Salon
2023-24, Maclaurin Gallery, Ayr – SSA 125th Annual Exhibition
2023, Kirkcudbright Galleries – Wasps X Kirkcudbright Exhibition
2023, Generator Projects – Old Contemporaries
2022, Net Gallery, London – Freelands Painting Prize
2022, Glasgow Society East – Old Contemporaries
2022, Botanic Gardens, Dundee – To Be Nodal
2022, Mathew Building, Dundee
2022, The Federation, KRG & DJCAD collaborative exhibition, Dundee – Out in the Open
2022, The Federation – KRG – Dundee
2022, Level 4, DUSA, Dundee – Femfest
2020-2023, Ron Lawson Gallery, Perth Road, Dundee
2021, Bradshaw Gallery, Dundee – DJCAD Responds – End Violence Against Women Now
2020, Travelling Exhibition, Art school exchange – Cabin Baggage
2020, DJCAD Mathew Gallery, Dundee – Then and Now Exhibition
2020-2023, Ron Lawson Gallery, Dundee
2020, DJCAD, Dundee – DJCAD Foyer Exhibition
2019, Mathew Building Upper and Lower Foyer, DJCAD, Dundee – Rubatosis
2019, DJCAD Open Days CAP Second Year Students Exhibition
2019, The Cooper Gallery, Dundee – Studio Jamming
2019, The Artist’s Studio, Aberlour
2019, RBS Building, Huntly – Five Huntly Artists
2019, The Blue Roof Gallery, Oyne
2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2009, Larks Gallery, Ballater
2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, Imagine at 27, Banff
2016, 2015, The Wee Gallery, Cullen
2016, 2014, Archies Art, The Wood Group, Aberdeen
2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, The Holburn Gallery, Aberdeen
2015, Teasel and Tweed, Aberdeen
2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, The Elgin Gallery, Elgin
2016, 2014, 2012, 2009, Art Aboyne, Aboyne
2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2005, 2004, 2003, Still Life, Aberlour
2011, 2004, 2000, 1999, Just Art, Fochabers
2009, 2008, Coast Festival, Macduff
2007, Mcgregor Fine Art, Glasgow
2007, 2005, Carby Art, Aberdeen
2004, Eduardo Allessandros, Broughty Ferry
2004, The Queens Gallery, Dundee
2004, Gallery Nomansland, Aberlour
2004, 2003, 2002, Iona House Gallery, Woodstock, Oxford
2002, ConocoPhillips, Rubislaw House, Aberdeen
2002, Indigo for Contemporary Art, St Andrews
2002, 2000, Frames Contemporary Gallery, Perth
2002, The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
2001, Nickleson Gallery, Scone
2000, The Fotheringham Gallery, Bridge of Allan
2000, The Glasgow Room, Princes Square
2000, The Gallery, Cupar
2000, The Weem, Pittenweem
1999, Logie Steading, Forres
Duo Exhibitions
2018, 2017, The Ethical Gift Shop, Huntly
2017, 2015, Forgue Church, Forgue
2007, Still Life, Aberlour
1996, Barnyard Studios and Gallery, Garmouth – Mojo
Rachel Bride Ashton 