Ben Edge CV
Born -
Croydon, UK, 1985
Education -
London Metropolitan University, (2005 – 2008), BA Fine Art
West Kent College, (2002 – 2005), ND fine art - Foundation in Fine Art
Upcoming/Present Exhibitions –
2025: Children of Albion, London (Venue tbc), Painting series and film (work in progress)
2025: Wilson Gallery, Cheltenham Trust, Group show, Common Ground (An exhibition curated by Ben Edge)
Selected Exhibitions -
Solo shows -
2023: ‘British Folk Paintings’, The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History
2021: ‘Ritual Britain’, Ben Edge and the Museum of British Folklore, Curated by Simon Costin, The Crypt Gallery, St Pancras New Church, London
2019: ‘Ritual Britain’ (Curated by David Harrison) Cubitt, London
2018: ‘Life Retraced’ - Mr Fogg’s Residence, London
2017: 'Folk Renaissance', HIX ART (Formerly CNB Gallery) London
Group shows -
2024: ‘Return of the Black Shuck and Friends’ Co Curated by Stuart Pearson Wright, (Ben Edge guest judge for the entry competition) The Bell Gallery, Bungay, Suffolk.
2023: ‘Black Shuck and Friends’ Co Curated by Stuart Pearson Wright, The Bell Gallery, Bungay, Suffolk
2023: ‘Animal Guising and the Kentish Hooden Horse’, Maidstone Museum, Kent
2023: Art On A Postcard, Fascinating Figuration. Curated by Jack Trodd.
2022: Cubitt 30, Victoria Miro Gallery, London
2022: Group Show, ‘Once Upon a Time’, Co curated by Flora Fairbairn & Katie Heller, 23 - 25 Chiltern St, London
2022: Royal Academy Summer Show, The Royal Academy, London (invited by Bill Woodrow RA)
2021: The Smoke, Co curated by Vanessa Mitter & Ben Westley Clarke, Terrace Gallery, London
2021: Queer as Folklore, Curated by Duo-Vision Arts, Gallery 46, London
2021: Art On A Postcard (Summer Exhibition) Hoxton Gallery, London
2021: Estival, Meta Gallery, Stroud, Gloucestershire
2020: Silent Slips, James Freeman Gallery, London
2019 - 2020: A Horse’s Head in the Frost, Chepstow Museum, Chepstow, Wales
2019: Art On A Postcard (Curated by Dougie Wallace & Ben Eine) Old Spitalfields market, London
2019: Cubitt Open Studios, London
2018: Lore of the land (Curated by David Harrison) Churchgate Gallery, Somerset
2017: Mayfair Art Weekend, Browns Hotel, London
2015: The Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize, Piano Nobile, Kings place, London
2015: Two man show (with Ben Westley Clarke), ‘Contemporary folklore’, Leyden Gallery, London
2014: Nuance outcasts, Angus Hughes Gallery, London
2012: Black Xmas, Signal Gallery, London
2011: Punk and Beyond, Signal Gallery, London
2010: BP Portrait award, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
2009: BP Portrait award, Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton
2009: BP Portrait award, National Portrait Gallery, London
2009: Ground, Chiswick London
2008: The Light Box, Chiswick, London
2008: Gibbo’s makes a scene, Gibbo’s, London
2007: Artists books, Transition Gallery, London
2007: Peace Camp, Brick Lane Gallery, London
2006: Artists books, Transition Gallery, London
Talks, radio appearances and panel discussions -
2021, Artist talk and musical performance, The Golden Hinde, London
2021 - Frontline Folklore film screening, Q&A with Ben Edge and Bridget Christie, Hawkwood, Gloucestershire
2021: Ritual Britain talk series, three events, The Crypt Gallery, St Pancras New Church, London.
1) Artist talk with Ben Edge and film screening
2) Morris dancing now: Panel discussion with Ben Edge, Tim Plester & Alex Merry (Boss Morris)
3) British identity and folk culture, Ben Edge in discussion with Simon Costin, Mellany Robertson and Zakia Sewell.
2020: My Albion, Zakia Sewell, Episode 1 of 4, The Cuckoo, BBC Radio 4
2020: Questing W/Zakia & Ben Edge, NTS Radio
2019: Artists talk, Cubitt, London
Books/Features -
Sacred Sites, The Library of Esoterica, Taschen, 2024
England on Fire, by Stephen Ellcock, Mat Osman, Watkins Publishing, 2022
Ritual Britain, by Ben Edge and the Museum of British Folklore, Self Published, 2021
Folk Renaissance, by Ben Edge, Self Published, 2017
Outsiders, By Ben Edge, Self Published, 2014
Publications/Articles/Interviews -
Elephant Magazine - The Artists to Watch in 2022: Part 1, 2022
Raw Vision - Issue 110 - British Folklore a Living Entity, 2022
Hellebore - Issue 7 - The Ritual Issue, 2022
Elephant Magazine - Telling Tales: The Painter Keeping Britain’s Forgotten Stories Alive with Holly Black, 2021
The Guardian - Bridget Christie: Ritual Britain made me proud to be British, 2021
Tradfolk, - Ben Edge on folk culture and a return to the land with Jon Wilks, 2021
The Quietus - Journeys Through Ritual Britain: Ben Edge & The Museum of British Folklore, John McMahon, 2021
The Telegraph - Horses' skulls and flaming tar: the weird world of British local rituals with Jake Kerridge, 2021
Weird Walk - The Ritual Renaissance, Issue three, Midsummer, 2020
Consultation/Art Direction/Artwork –
Consultant for the Channel 4 series ‘The Change’ (Episodes 5 & 6) written by Bridget Christie, Produced by Expectation TV (Currently In production)
Art direction, Cover Artwork for the Raf Rundell Album O.M.Days, Heavenly records, 2021
+ Co-founded a ritual for the promotional video that has now become a yearly custom and in its third year of practice.
Cover Artwork for the Tamar Aphek album ‘All Bets Are Off’, Kill Rockstars, 2021
Art Direction, Consultant for the Fat White Family music video ‘When I Leave’, Domino Records , 2019
Cover Artwork for the Fat White Family single ‘Tastes Good with the Money’, Domino Records, 2019
Cover Artwork for the Raf Rundell Album ‘Stop Lying, 1965 Records, 2018
Album Releases -
Ben Edge, Children of Albion (Work in progress)
Ben Edge, New Tradition, Glass Modern Records, 2020 (Digital release) 2021 (Vinyl release)
Ben Edge and the Electric Pencils, Self titled, Almost Ready Records, 2017
Thee Spivs, The Crowds and the Sounds, Damaged Goods Records, 2013
Thee Spivs, Black and White Memories, Damaged Goods Records, 2011
Thee Spivs, Taped Up, Damaged Goods Records, 2010
Awards -
Short-listed for ‘The Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize’, 2015
Short-listed for the BP Portrait award, National Portrait gallery, 2009
Short-listed for the Ellen Clarkson Award, London Metropolitan University, 2007
West Kent college foundation, hard working achievement award of excellence in fine art – Kent county council, 2004 -2005