Biography

Natasha Archdale was born in 1976 in London. A nomadic childhood took her across Europe and led to a spell in rural Kenya, a major inspiration for the animals in her work. Upon settling in England she attended Bedales School and later studied art at Cambridge Arts.

A serious car crash in her early 20s left her bed-ridden for 6 weeks with a broken back. From her hospital bed, she started to sketch self-portraits but, with no access to paint, she made use of her daily read - the Financial Times – and pencil and a Pritt-Stick* borrowed from the nurses’ station. And so her distinctive collage technique was born.

The different shades of newspaper print create chiaroscuro – a visual effect dating back to the Renaissance, characterised by strong contrasts between light and dark - as a way of adding a 3 dimensional aspect to her subjects. This is used to punctuate the different parts of a human body, a face or an animal. In her nudes, the torn edges add a dreaminess to the often uncompromising poses she depicts. On another level, extracts of specifically selected sections of print – a picture, a headline, some text – leap out from the image, adding depth and relevance to the story each individual picture tells. ‘When someone undresses, they expose more than skin, ‘she says. ‘I feel I am weaving together nakedness and a broader context; flesh and information.’

A debut show in 2007 at The Gallery on Charing Cross Road in London sold out in 2 hours, and has led to commissions from high-profile clients ranging from collectors, major financiers and polticians. Her work has been featured in publications including The Financial Times and Time Magazine (see ‘press’ section here).

In October 2010, one of her nudes was projected onto the giant LED screens in Piccadilly Circus as part of Samsung’s campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer. Her shows include 'The Financial Animal' at The Royal Exchange, July 2011, where she created collaged animals to represent financial markets. In 2013, Archdale's collages of Andy Murray and Roger Federer hung proudly opposite Centre Court at Queen's Club during the Queen's Tournament. 2015, solo collage and neon show represented by Roberta Moore at 80 Piccadilly. Additionally she appears in various group shows associated with names like The Helium Foundation, Ad Lib and God’s Own Junkyard.

While her ever-evolving mixed media collages continue to live at the heart of her work, she has spent the last decade creating large scale 'Neon' pieces for individual commissions. Bold and bright, with personal messages subtly incorporated, they continue to be very popular, as do her on-going, insolent '4 letter words' decoupage sign series.

Natasha Archdale lives and works in London.

Natasha has appeared in multiple publications.
A pdf of her press clippings is available here.

She can be contacted at info@natashaarchdale.co.uk