Robinson, who is from Sunderland, exhibited work that builds on the “expanded painting” concept, using fabric, stitching, acrylic paint and found materials, combined with an installation that manipulates light and its effect on these materials.
She is also passionate about art education and after graduating from ARU’s Cambridge School of Art, the third year student plans to train as an art teacher in secondary schools.
The 21-year-old said: “I am overwhelmed by the feedback my artwork has received.
“Winning the Supanee Gazeley Fine Art Prize feels extremely surreal and I could not be more grateful for the recognition and honour of receiving such an award. It encourages me to qualify as a teacher and to help others learn the importance of expressing themselves through a love and passion for art.”
Benet Spencer, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Fine Art at ARU, said: “Ashleigh’s prize-winning work uses textiles, lighting and sound to create a very specific and compelling atmosphere. The resulting artwork engages the viewer with the ghost-like presence of faces, woven into the fabric and recreated on walls as a shadow play of eerie forms. It is both beautiful and haunting.”
The Supanee Gazeley Fine Art Prize is kindly funded by Supanee Gazeley, an alumna of ARU having graduated in 1962. She has held numerous art exhibitions in the UK, Thailand and Hong Kong, and became an Honorary Doctor of the University in 2007.
The prize recognises the value of the arts and the importance of nurturing new talent, and supports and encourages Fine Art students in further developing their work. Supanee Gazeley has very generously funded the Prize for a period of 50 years, from 2010 to 2060.