Rachel Shaw Ashton

Rachel creates elaborate, intricate and structured hand cut paper collages often layering white paper. Depictions of magical landscapes or curious figures, are made up of hundreds of meticulously hand cut paper forms. A tree is made up of small 394 cut out girls, which are meticulously pinned to the paper throwing hundreds of shadows resembling leaves.

These are personal works, which explore the imaginings of the human mind. Having completed a BA Hons at Brighton Art College, Rachel worked as a freelance illustrator before concentrating on her fine art practice.

Artist Statement

'These most recent works continue with my curiosity in thoughts and feelings that are kept hidden. Sometimes disguised or unidentified, sometimes put to one side to deal with another time. Not always controllable but ultimately our choice whether to reveal or keep out of sight and this in turn usually culminates in a very potent and often destructive force.

Physically the work has become even more refined and detailed than it has been, either in the sheer quantity and concentration of figures or in the detail of each individual body or form.

In some works I hope to convey realization through the stirring of movement and in others a feeling of things being static and resigned.'