Artist Spotlight: Asha Murray

Asha Murray is a Dublin-based artist working across experimental film, sculpture and wool tufting; a punch-needle technique used to create soft textile sculptures. Her work is rooted firmly in lived experience, often using a feminist lens to question the social constructs surrounding gender roles and identity.

We’re excited to host Murray’s The Middle Aisle, a week-long pop-up exhibition at our G.A.S HQ, 34 Pearse Street, running from the 21st to the 26th of August, 12pm–5pm daily, and a launch party on the 20th. Ahead of the opening, we sat down with her to talk influences, style, and what you can expect from the exhibition.

How would you describe your style? 

I would describe my style as a sort of surreal rhythmic collage of images. My tactile sculptures are quite illustrative, with bright, bold colours. The satirical quality of these oversized tufted objects creates a dreamlike dystopian engagement and atmosphere for audiences. For my films, I would describe their style as nostalgic and experimental. The visuals are overlapping collages capturing intimate, fleeting moments of daily life. Within my performance films, I would say they lean more towards uncanny and over-saturated visuals and performances. 

“a sort of surreal rhythmic collage of images”

A lot of your work plays with film, what’s your favourite film?

 I feel like I have a new favourite film every week. But the film I’ve loved as long as I can remember is Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Their outfits, the makeup and the dance routines all really spoke to me growing up.

“Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Their outfits, the makeup and the dance routines all really spoke to me growing up.”

 Who has influenced you? 

Artists that have inspired me are Niki de St Phalle and her bold use of colour and space, Karen Lamassonne and her self-referential works that explore female sexuality, domesticity, and sensuality from a woman’s perspective. And Experimental filmmaker Jonas Mekas and his ‘diary style’ films of everyday life have definitely influenced the style of my films. And of course anything Pop Art!

“Artists that have inspired me are Niki de St Phalle and her bold use of colour and space, Karen Lamassonne and her self-referential works that explore female sexuality, domesticity, and sensuality from a woman’s perspective.”

 What do you expect people to take away from this exhibition?

 Everyone’s personal context will lead them to what they take from the exhibition. But My work is an exploration into the social constructs in which we all exist, and I think the spaces and conversation I create are a fun setting for people to explore their own constructs and lived experience. 

Tell me more about the karaoke piece? 

The karaoke night will be a playful performance night. You’re invited to come dressed as your most valued shop item. What you consume the most, what you most desperately need. A reflection of yourself in what you buy. Mingle with the other shop items attending and see how the personification of items interact. The evening will be a playful, fun night of dance and karaoke to a curated playlist of consumer-centric songs! 

What prompted you to focus this piece on consumerism? 

What prompted me to begin focusing on consumerism was during lockdown I found my trips out to the grocery shops to be inspiring. It caused me to think closely about women’s places within the household, the chores and roles, and rituals we might find ourselves slipping into. At the time, my films consisted of me performing these personas which I had been creating based on stereotypes of gendered constructs. On my trips to the shops I kept finding disregarded shopping lists, just forgotten and littered in the shopping aisles. As social distancing was a thing at the time, I found reading the items on people’s shopping list as a way to socialise. I felt the items they were consuming were a window into what they had been doing in their day-to-day. This inspired me to analyse the items on the list I found, and from each list I would imagine a new persona for my films. That was really the beginning point of it all.

“I felt the items they were consuming were a window into what they had been doing in their day-to-day. This inspired me to analyse the items on the list I found, and from each list I would imagine a new persona for my films.”

 How can people support and find more of your work? 

People can find my work over on my Instagram @Murray_asha. Also, I update my website about events and exhibitions at ashamurray.com