She was the Screen printing technician at GSA after graduating from 1987-1990, then lecturer in Printmaking there until 1995.
She joined Glasgow Print Studio in the early 90’s with her first big solo show there in 1991. After leaving GSA she taught night classes and workshops in screen printing at Glasgow Print Studio and worked in the GPS retail space until 2004.
Following this she was Project Co-ordinator for The Scottish Academy of Asian Arts, running Glasgow Mela from 2004 to 2008. She volunteered in The Gambia from 2008 to 2010, establishing a Centre for Children at Juffereh which is still open.
Since returning to Glasgow in 2010 she has focused on her practice. She works with the mediums of screen-printing, mono-printing, digital imaging and collage. She is drawn to surrealism and magical realism. Her work is narrative and emotionally driven, preferring to express her inner world. She creates nocturnal, illusionist environments from disparate sources using an intense palette of colour opposites.
Recent work generally speaks of earth energies, nature spirits and celestial influences, dealing with the unconscious associations we make in our everyday surroundings – superstitions we’ve
buried but linger inside us – the remnants of early belief systems from ancient settlers who came to Scotland: the Scythians, Celts, Picts and Romans; the residue of a past where we lived through folklore, reading omens from nature and our everyday surroundings, living by small acts of everyday magic. In recent years interests include Ogham, the Celtic Tree calendar, the Pagan Wheel of the Year; the annual cycle of festivals observing the chief solar events and cycles of the season and is drawn to thought processes which observe these cycles and bring us into line with the natural world and the ancient rhythms we find there.
Cook is regularly commissioned for design work, recent commissions include working with Glenmorangie Whisky, House of McCallum Whisky, The Cabot Collection Toronto, Cromlix House
and illustrations for a book of foragable Scottish plants. She also designs playing card and tarot decks which sell internationally.
Ashley has won several international awards – including from The British Council, The Scottish Arts Council, The Lady Artist Club Trust, Glasgow Art Club, The Icelandic Cultural Council, The Mexican Cultural Council and a Kate & Robert Wilson Town Award – and has undertaken funded artist residencies in Canada, Iceland, USA, Mexico, Spain and West Africa.
She now lives and works in Glasgow with a studio in WASPS South Block and makes limited edition prints at Glasgow Print Studio. She is a member of the RGI, SSA and the Glasgow Group. Her work is featured in public and private collections worldwide.
