Ashleigh Beattie
I am a Zimbabwean artist based in Manchester. My practice explores themes of displacement and belonging as a migrant living in the diaspora. I work mainly in sculpture and installation, repurposing everyday materials such as newspapers and tin cans. These humble materials are embedded with meaning, memories and stories.
Through my work these materials are transformed and given permanence. This repurposing characterises my practice and draws from my childhood in Zimbabwe, where nothing is thrown away - everything is repurposed.
Currently Showing
2 - 29 June 2025 'Perambulator', part of the Horizons festival at HOME, Manchester
14 Feb -31 May 2025 'Musika ', The giving tree, Manchester.
Current Consultancy
2024-25 Lowry Artist advisory group, The Lowry, Salford
Workshops
2025 May 'WAST Horizons project', HOME, Manchester
2025 March 'Speak Up' Programme with Lowry and National Theatre , Salford
2023 October Temporary shelters, Leeds City of Culture 2023, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
2023 August Temporary Shelters, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
2022 October Teacher CPD, Sculpting Landscapes, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
2022 August Sculpting landscapes, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
Higher Education
2005-2009 2:1 Bachelors of Fine Art (HONS) University of Cumbria, U.K.
Group Exhibitions
2021 Sep HOME: Manchester Open Art Exhibition, Manchester
2019 Mar Rocking The Boat, Creative Recycling Gallery, Chorlton, Manchester
2014 Mar The Luck Of Edenhall, The Old Fire Station, Carlisle
2010 Nov The Meeting Point, National Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe
2009 Jul Summer Exhibition, Cecil Street Projects, Carlisle, England
2009 Jul Summer Exhibition, Bank Gallery, Carlisle, England
2009 Jun This side of Somewhere, University of Cumbria, Carlisle, England
2008 Dec Love in the Asylum, Wasps Studios, Glasgow, Scotland
2008 Sep Liquidizer, Vault Gallery, Lancaster, England
2008 Feb Seconds Out- Redefined, University of Cumbria, Carlisle, England
Solo Exhibitions
2025 May 'Musika', The Giving Tree, Manchester
2016 Jun In search of the Promised Land, Alexandria Library, Manchester
2010 May In search of the Promised Land, Carlisle Cathedral, Carlisle, England
Grants/ Awards/ Residencies
2007-2009 University of Cumbria, Undergraduate Scholarship
2009 Undergraduate Arts Achievement Award, University of Cumbria
Commissions
2013 Nov Illustration for cover of GWC Annual Report, Cape Town, South Africa
Reviews/ Press
https://www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk/castlefield-gallery-associates-spotlight-ashleigh-beattie/
https://axisweb.org/blog/take-me-back-to-when-the-world-made-sense
Helping Artists Keep Going
Axis is an artist-led charity supporting contemporary visual artists with resources, connection, and visibility.