Bruce Asbestos

Studio B9

"Through his shrewd use of social media, personal re-hashing of global pop culture and use of new digital technologies, he has established an unmistakable visual identity and unique brand (complete with logos) to almost become a living artwork." - Art Review

Bruce Asbestos’ work frequently mixes everyday objects with high art, fashion, and responds to global pop culture. His interdisciplinary practice combines performance, painting, clothing, social media, video games, curating and many collaborations. Witty, seductive and extravagant; Bruce’s work feels at once both unique yet strangely familiar. His playful use of popular culture, commerce and high art puts his own personal brand firmly within the realm of participation, play and pop art, creating an accessible path through contemporary art.

The works increasingly use play as a way of generating absurd, idiosyncratic combinations of objects and images, setting up problematic relationships between disparate elements of personal, cultural identity, fantasy and our collective relationship with commerce. Often the work looks to participate in a shared global pop culture, and prompts audiences to reflect on their own cultural experience.

Bruce Asbestos studied Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University BA/MA, winning a scholarship at Musashino University, Tokyo, and RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. He also studied at Hive business school.

Recent projects and exhibitions include, Bluecoat, Liverpool (Solo exhibition), Eye of Newt 2.0 QUAD (Derby), New British Informal, Browns East (London), Burple Purple, Recent Activity (Birmingham), Ok! Cherub! S/S 2021, Power, National Justice Museum (Nottingham), S/S 2020 Bonington Gallery (Nottingham), Bruce Asbestos X Juliana Sissons, Primary (Nottingham), A/W Collection, Kunstraum (London), A/W 2018 Nottingham Contemporary, Arts Council International Fund project to NYC and Philadelphia, Bruce Asbestos A-B Testing, Concrete, Hayward Gallery (London). MTN DEW, Commission by EM15 for Sunscreen, Venice Biennale. Ivan Poe / Reactor, Plymouth Art Weekender. He was nominated for the £300,000 Paul Hamlyn Breakthrough Fund 2013/4. Bruce Asbestos artworks have been accessioned into the Government Art Collection, and the collection of the National Justice Museum.