AJ Wilkinson

I have worked both independently and collaboratively. Over the past 30 years my work has been solely about the exploration of my own history whether that be the place’s I lived or the people I have surrounded myself with.

To give you a quick overview, for instance my first exhibitions 1995 ‘English Candies’ exhibited at the now defunct Viewpoint gallery, and then nationally was an exploration of the punk movement of which played a key role in my development as an artist.

In 2004 I collaborated with the writer Richard McCann on a publication/exhibition ‘Driving Blind’ which was exhibited nationally with the publication of the same name (Dewi Lewis publications) to coincide with the show. This work explored the notion of travel which involves us in the mess and clutter of the world and what we witness is not the picturesque. 

Then in 2018 I was involved in a collaboration with Pauline Rowe, Poet in residence at the Open eye Gallery, Liverpool as part of a discussion around the break-up of a 25-year relationship, where I had created a series of images in attempt to navigate my sense of loss. This work was shown as part of “Liverpool Light night 2018”.

In September of 2018 I embarked on an MFA at University of Ulster, where I was exploring the notion of masculinity in the outlaw biker community. I am now looking to create a discussion around homosocial desire, physical connection to one another and the spaces which exude this masculine world.