Ashling Mccarthy

Her academic training and experience as an anthropologist taught Ashling to be both a listener ad an observer which, she says, changed the way she understood and interacted with the world. This – and her parallel career as a fiction writer – brings to her art an intention to encourage conversations about social change and socio-economic realities. 

While her writing allows direct stories, her painting offers snapshots of a subject’s life, which is open to subjective interpretation.

She started her creative career as a graphic designer, and transitioned into the field of craft development. Painting was originally, for her, a quiet and focused space in which to recover from burnout. 

Ashling’s varied career in craft development, the non-profit sector and research has influenced her painting style, as the need to depict issues that shape the experiences of many South Africans. 

I find that people who buy my work are in love with South Africa. They understand that we are a fractured and often divided nation; they are not blind to the challenges we face.  Yet, in spite of these challenges, they still see the beauty, vibrancy and humanity that makes South Africa such a special place