20/20 meet the artists: Jessica Ashman
- Written byKatie Moss
- Published date 01 August 2023
In June, UAL announced the twelve emerging and mid-career artists in the second of 2 cohorts for 20/20: a national commissioning and network project directly investing in the careers of a new generation of ethnically diverse artists.
20/20 was launched in November 2021 by UAL Decolonising Arts Institute, working with a network of 20 UK public collections, museum and gallery partners, and with funding from Freelands Foundation, Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants Programme and UAL.
We caught up with Jessica Ashman about being selected for the second cohort of artists for 20/20. Her residency is taking place at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.
Tell us about your artistic work, discipline & background
"My practice as an artist spans animation, painting, installation, music and performance. However, I started out in the commercial animation industry, working on TV shows, music videos and short films.
"After completing a masters at the Royal College of Art in 2014 and starting a band as part of DIY Space for London’s brilliant ‘First Timers’ (I only knew how to play 3 chords at the time…), my practice started to evolve from solely focussing on animation. Within my work, I look to the history of my elders and ancestors; I’m immensely interested in concepts of ‘the personal archive’ as a social political force. I find the stories of the Black British diaspora communities I was raised in, beautiful, complex and devastating, and I often merge these histories with Black radical feminist theory and science fiction literature, to expand on these testimonies and to imagine alternative, transformative realities."
Why did you apply for the 20/20 project?
"I applied to 20/20 as I feel that as an opportunity, it has the potential to be life changing. The focus and support offered by this project really allows for a myriad of possibilities; something which feels impossible in the capitalistic landscape we all live under.
"For myself, even applying to this residency gave me time to dare to dream of an ‘epic’ project, even if I wasn’t successful in being selected – I’m glad I was! As I mentioned above, I’m someone whose work is heavily influenced by stories hidden in archives and stories hidden within our own family archives. So, I’m very excited to see what I can uncover, interrogate and generally shine a light on within the various collections of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery."
What conversations, thoughts or feelings do you hope to encourage amongst your audiences during your residency?
"On this residency, I’m hoping to harness the spirit of rebellion and paradise and all of the complex stories that come with those two words. It’s important to me that my work can speak to the communities I come from, so if there’s room for direct conversations via workshops, performances or even local artist collaborations, then I would welcome that greatly. I hope that the work I make creates a sense of escapism and reflection yet simultaneously provides a channel for cathartic anger for the audiences who might experience it. We’ll see, we’re only at the beginning stages!"
Follow Jessica Ashman on social media:
Instagram: @jessica_a_ashman| jessicaashman.com