Anna Ilsley’s work often draws on the mess, joy and viscerality of her own lived experience. Inspired by mythologies and cultural references from across eras and cultures, her paintings and drawings address the physical and emotional impact of motherhood, in/fertility, grief, and her intensely strong urge to kick back against the cultural and political forces that shape women’s relationships with their own bodies. Using the physical constraints of the canvas itself as a structure that both restricts and supports the figures it contains, the characters she depicts are in turn resplendently fleshy, embracing, smothering, saucy, monstrous.
Education History
2009-10 PG Dip in Drawing, Royal Drawing School
2003-06 BA Hons Fine Art Painting, University of Brighton
2001-02 Foundation Diploma in Art and design, Norwich School of Art
Solo and Duo Exhibitions
2024 BERYL & PAM with Hannah Lees at Winch Gallery, Britten Pears, curated by Rebecca May Marston, Suffolk, U.K (duo)
2023 Underbelly at Benjamin Parsons x Hannah Payne, curated by Kristian Day, Oxford, U.K (solo)
2022 So Happy Together alongside Dan Schein at Galleri Tom Christoffersen, Copenhagen, Denmark (duo)
2022 Fortuna alongside Jessica Jane Charleston at Asylum Studios, Suffolk, U.K (duo)
2021 Vefarar : Weavers at Old Labs, Newnham College, University of Cambridge, U.K (solo)
2019 Dearly Beloved, two person show with Dan Schein at Tom Christoffersen Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (duo)
2014 Temple of Lusts, S-T-O-R-E, London, U.K (solo)
2013 Shadow Of A Shadow, British School at Athens, Greece (solo)
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 AS SELF AS SELF AS at Asylum Studios, curated by David Cooper, Suffolk, U.K.
2022 An eXhibition of SMALL things with BIG ideas at White Conduit Projects, London, U.K
2022 Swamp Legends at Terrace Gallery, London, U.K
2022 GUTUG at Asylum Studios curated by David Cooper, Suffolk, U.K
2022 Material Presence, Fitzrovia Gallery, London, U.K
2022 Crab Bisque at St Chads Projects with Haroun Hayward, Simon Foxall and Benjamin Orlow, London, U.K
2021 Saturnalia with Purslane Art / Art City Works, online
2021 20 Years at the BSA, 12 Star Gallery, Europe House, London, U.K
2021 Lovers Lane, Oceans Apart, Salford, Greater Manchester, U.K
2019 Looking At You, Rose Lipman Gallery, curated by Gedney Common, London, U.K
2018 Paper Cuts curated by Kristian Day at Saatchi Gallery, London, U.K
2018 Our Souls To Keep, Field Projects Gallery, New York, curated by Lissa Rivera (online)
2018 The Reinvention Of Love at Century Club Soho curated by Cairo Clarke with artists
Adam Glibbery, Lindsey Mendick and Faye Wei Wei, London, U.K
2018 Night Follows Night at Gallery 98, with artists Paul Fenner, Jessie Makinson,
Hannah Murgatroyd, Anna Jung Seo and Paige Perkins, Ramsgate, U.K
2017 Paper Cuts curated by Kristian Day at Tripp Gallery, London, U.K
2017 75 Works On Paper, Beers London, U.K
2017 BODY at Kristin Hjellegjerde with artists Maha Ahmed, Annie Attridge, Rachel Gerrard,
Heloïse Delègue and Katja Larsson, London, U.K
2017 Seasons, Maxilla Space, London, U.K
2017 Art Projects with Nunnery Gallery at London Art Fair, London, U.K
2016 Bow Open, selected by Anj Smith, Nunnery Gallery, London, U.K
2016 The Place Where He Is Meant To Be Lost, Third Policeman Gallery, NYC, U.S.A
2014 Mark Wallinger Presents, Bermondsey Project, London, U.K
2014 Temple of Lusts (solo show), S-T-O-R-E, London, U.K
2014 East London Painting Prize, Strand House, London, U.K
2014 Alumni Exhibition, Royal Drawing School, London, U.K
2012 Contemporary Perspectives, Threadneedle Space, Mall Galleries, London, U.K
2012 Creative Cities, Barbican Arts Centre, London, U.K
2012 Creative Cities, Beijing Capital Museum, China
2012 A Sense of Adventure, Pullman London. Curated by Kate Groobey and Avis Underwood, London, U.K
2011 Bloomberg New Contemporaries, selected by Pablo Bronstein, Sarah Jones and Michael Raedecker
at ICA London & Site Gallery/ S1 Artspace Sheffield, U.K
2011 Arts for India, Kensington Palace, London, U.K
2010 MKII, Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes, U.K
2010 Drawing Year Exhibition, Princes Drawing School, London. U.K
2009 Recent Paintings with Max Wade, Etcetera Gallery, London, U.K
2009 The Modi House, IIFA, Delhi, India
2007 Kettles Yard Open, Cambridge, U.K
2006 Black Market, Municipal market, Brighton, U.K
Selected Residencies and Awards
2019 Arts Council England Research and Development Grant
2019 Artist Bursary from a-n magazine
2019-20 Artist In Residence, Newnham College, University of Cambridge
2018 Moritz-Heyman Residency, Pignano, Italy
2014 Artist in Residence, S-T-O-R-E London
2013 Arts Bursary Award, British School at Athens, Greece
2012 Artist In Residence, Dumfries House, Scotland
2010 Artist in Residence, International Institute of Fine Arts (IIFA), India
2010 Matthew Hodder Charitable Trust Grant
2009 Windsor and Newton Prize
2006 Arts Council South East Development Award
Permanent Collections
2024 Soho House, Brighton, U.K
2021 Newnham College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K
2019 Wellington Club, London, UK
2017 Century Club, London, UK
2015 Dumfries House, Scotland, UK
2014 British School at Athens, Greece
2012 Beijing Capital Museum, Beijing, China
2011 HRH Prince of Wales, UK
Publications
2024 My painting ‘Kin’ cover art for Daughter Wound by Nkateko Msinga, commissioned by Hazel Press
2019 SALT Editorial: Issue 10 ‘Glossolalia’
2017 HYSTERIA Magazine
2017 Interview in Century Soho Newsletter, October 2017
2014 Mark Wallinger Presents Catalogue
2011 Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2011
Visiting Appointments
2014 Visiting Lecturer on Fine Art Painting at University of Brighton
2014 Teaching Faculty at Royal Drawing School