Ben Ashton

Ben Ashton is a British contemporary artist based in London, known for his hyperrealistic portraits and immersive installations. He studied Fine Art at Newcastle University before completing postgraduate studies at the Slade School of Fine Art in London in 2008.Drawing inspiration from Old Master painting and the formal “swagger portraits” of the Regency era, Ashton combines traditional techniques with dramatic visual distortions. His figures are often stretched, blurred, fragmented, or digitally warped, creating images that appear both historically familiar and psychologically unsettling. Through this collision of classical portraiture and contemporary experimentation, he examines power, social status, nationalism, identity, and the selective use of history.Ashton primarily works in oil on canvas, panel, and paper, frequently designing costumes and handcrafted supports specifically for his compositions. His recent practice also considers the influence of artificial intelligence and digital technology on creativity, using visual glitches and imagined figures to explore tensions between tradition and the future. His work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions in London, Los Angeles, Seattle, Rome, and internationally, and was included in the 2012 and 2014 BP Portrait Award exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery in London.