Keith Ashley (b. 1960, Norfolk UK) graduated from Norwich School of Art in 1978 and received his BA from the Chelsea School of Art in 1981. After receiving his artistic training, Ashley established his career in the book industry, but continued to create his own work, and endeavoured to refine his artistic practice.

He remains fascinated by painting from direct observation, and how this practice can lead to the generation of new and imagined ideas. The process of painting flowers, for example, becomes an opportunity for Ashley to explore themes of life, death, and decay. In some ways, the arrangements of flowers act as a portal into imaginary lifestyles, where the paintings themselves become windows into alternate, parallel lives.

For his first solo exhibition at Paul Smith, Out of Season, Ashley draws focus to themes of displacement, artificiality, and belonging in the modern urban landscape. Imported, out-of-season flowers wither and decay in the studio, against a backdrop of a high-rise cityscape. Ashley uses heavy impasto acrylic to track and document this structural collapse. By framing his flowers against the geometry of the city, he highlights the juxtaposition between the artificial and the natural. Though he grew up in the countryside, Ashley finds himself more at ease within the manufactured environment of the city. His paintings reflect this psychological shift.

Ashley’s work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across the UK, including Anthony Reynolds Gallery (1981), Maison Bertaux (2020, 2025), The Saatchi Gallery (2022), West Norwood Picturehouse (2023), and Bankside Gallery (2024, 2026). His work is held in private collections internationally.