Draft:Ashley Rawson

Ashley Rawson is a self-taught artist who mainly works with acrylics on canvas, and is known for his social commentary pieces focussing on a broad range of topics such as Sectarianism, West of Scotland Ned Culture, Homelessness, and Digital Addiction. Rawson has designed an iconic series of murals across his home city of Glasgow, including at Strathclyde University and the 1st Hampden Park.

Paintings Rawson’s best-known work is ‘Glasgow Kiss’: a piece which takes a traditionally aggressive phrase meaning ‘headbutt’ and presents it as a traditional kiss between two love-struck ‘Neds’ in Celtic and Rangers strips. This evocative piece has featured in various exhibition venues, including Glasgow's St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art and has been the subject of considerable press coverage and academic reflection.

Most of Rawson’s work lightly challenges accepted dogmas and he is known for his use of dis-arming humour within his work. A broader set of ‘Ned’ paintings feature stylised Glaswegian characters wearing tracksuits and drinking ‘Buckie’. Rawson’s Ned series culminated in the production of an illustrated book: ‘Buckie Boy: a Story for the Modern Underclass’.

Another notable piece is ‘Window in the East’, a large painting offering an alternative view of Avril Paton’s ‘Windows in the West’. The piece is informed by Rawson’s childhood growing up in the east end of Glasgow and acts as a commentary on forced evictions of residents from traditional tenement buildings in the pursuit of progress by city planners.

Murals

In 2014, Rawson designed several sections of the Strathclyde Wonder Wall on Glasgow’s George Street, and in 2019, Rawson created Glasgow’s 1st Hampden Mural, which celebrates the world's first enclosed purposefully-built international football ground at Hampden Bowling Club.

In October 2020, Rawson re-painted the mural following a successful crowdfunding campaign set up to restore it following vandalism. This iconic mural has become the centre-piece of Football's Square Mile - the world's biggest open-air football museum - and the campaign to make it a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rawson designed the Football's Square Mile website, which allows visitors to explore freely through the wonderful history of Glasgow's footballing heritage. This website was launched in conjunction with the Scottish Football Association, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life.

Showcasing Glasgow Culture

Rawson has also produced a series of alternative Glasgow coats of arms. These have focussed on challenging the medieval representation of Glasgow within the city’s insignia and replacing it with some harsh realities of modern Glasgow. Topics focussed on within these paintings include themes of the diet of the West of Scotland, alcoholism, and homelessness.

Rawson has a lighter side, which became apparent during the Covid pandemic. He produced a set of mythical birds that represent different aspects of Scottish culture and the West of Scotland's sense of humour.

During 2023-24, Rawson produced a series of acrylic paintings in response to the advent of digital and AI.



Ashley's latest work is a recreation of the famous Willy Wonka experience photo of Kirsty Paterson, acting as an Oompa Loompa, looking miserable at an event.