Margaret Ashman’s work is a meditation on the unseen, spiritual, emotional and otherness of life.

Using photographs or video stills, sometimes layering images from multiple sources she creates pieces in which a solitary dancer fills or interacts with a space. Dancers or Deaf signers are photographed performing contemporary dance or signing to particular songs or texts. The manipulated imagery is transferred to multiple etching plates using traditional acids and aquatint, imparting a particular textural quality to the finished prints.

Ashman’s recent series of prints ‘Forever Dancing’ is a visceral exploration of contemporary dance. It celebrates the art form in moods ranging from quiet and dreamy to exuberant and energy driven. This series was created from a dance video by Chinese dancer Lico, with the performer’s permission. These prints use monotype with photo etching and as such are unique within each variable edition.

Ashman graduated from the University of Brighton in 2005 with an MA in Printmaking and Professional Practice.

She has exhibited widely in the UK and overseas. She is currently working towards a solo show at the Swiss Church, London in 2022.

Ashman’s work is held in many museum collections including the Ashmolean Museum, the V&A and the Fitzwilliam Museum.