Born in 1962, Lesley Banks grew up in Denny, Stirlingshire. In 1980 she began a four year Degree course at Glasgow School of Art specialising in Drawing and Painting. After graduating she travelled and painted throughout Europe funded by an Elizabeth Greenshields Scholarship. In 1988 she became a gallery assistant in the Compass Gallery, Glasgow. Here, encouraged by Cyril and Jill Gerber, Lesley began to exhibit more of her artworks winning various prizes and awards, such as The 1991 Scottish Prize, Royal Overseas League London. This gave her the confidence to concentrate on painting full-time. In 1999 Lesley was appointed 'Artist in Residence' at Edinburgh Zoo where her popular "Urban Zoo" exhibition gained funding from the Scottish Arts Council. Since this time Lesley has exhibited throughout the U.K. and even as far afield as Singapore and the U.S.A. In spite of a lifelong love of Italy, a country reflected in some of her more recent works, Lesley continues to live and work in Glasgow with her partner and three sons.
Curriculum Vitae
1980-84 Studied at Glasgow School of Art in the Drawing and Painting B.A. Hons.
1985-86 Received an Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Award. Travelled around Europe and lived in Amsterdam for 6 months.
1987-89 Part-time assistant in Compass Gallery. Left in 1989 to paint full-time.
1990 Visiting artist – Castle Toward, Strathclyde Education Art Course
1999 Artist in residence – Edinburgh Zoo
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1991 Compass Gallery, Glasgow
1994 Gerber Fine Art, Glagow
Portland Gallery, London
1995 Beaux Art, Bath
1997 The Substation Gallery, Singapore
1997 Royal Overseas League, London and Edinburgh
1998 Gerber Fine Art, Glasgow
1999 Edinburgh Z00 Residency Exhibition
2000 Corrymela Scott Gallery (at Geoffrey Hugall Antiques)
2001 “From Glasgow to San Gimignano” - Bohun Gallery
2001 Arlington Revisited – Cyril Gerber Fine Art – Glasgow
2001 The Bride Stripped Bare – The Edinburgh Gallery
2006 'Alexander's dark Band', Cyril Gerber Fine Art
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1984 New Generation Artists - Compass Gallery Glasgow
1984-88 Scottish Society of Artists, The Mound, Edinburgh
1987/88 The Christmas Show, Compass Gallery
1988 Aberdeen Artists Annual Exhibition, Aberdeen
Fruitmarket Gallery Open Exhibition, Edinburgh
Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, The McLellan Galleries, Glasgow
1988/89 Bath Contemporary Art Fair
1989 The Paisley Drawing Competition
Scottish Contemporaries, The Barbizan Gallery, Glasgow
The John Player Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery. London
David Morrison Portrait Award, R.S.A. Edinburgh
The Spectator, Adam & Co "An Artists Life" Exhibition. Edinburgh and
London, "Spink & Son"
1990 Critic's Choice" - Clare Henry Selects Scottish artists for Bohun
Gallery, Henley on Thames
1990 Five Girls from Glasgow, Compass Gallery, Glasgow
Small Paintings, Bohun Gallery's Christmas Show
1992 Edinburgh Art Fair
‘Jobson’s Choice’ Jill George Gallery, London
1993 BP Portrait Competition
Royal Glasgow Institute Glasgow
1994 Royal Glasgow Institute
1995 BP Portrait Competition
The Scottish Morrison Portrait Award, RSA Edinburgh
‘A Sense of Place’, SSA Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling
1996 Royal Glasgow Institute Annual Exhibition
Royal Society of Portrait Painters, The Mall Galleries, London
The Laing Landscape Competition
Royal Overseas League Annual Open Exhibition
Robert Burns Bi-Centennary Exhibition toured to several venues including The Scottish Museum, Edinburgh SSA and RSA Edinburgh,
Elected Professional Member of the Society of Scottish Artists
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London
Roger Billcliffe Fine Art Summer Exhibition
1997 Glasgow Art Fair
1998 Collector’s Choice, Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow
Portland Gallery, London
Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames
Quantum Fine Art, London
Society of Scottish Artists
2000 The Edinburgh Gallery Festival Exhibition
2000 DFN Gallery, New York
2001 Thompson’s Gallery, London
2001 ‘New Paintings from Scotland’, Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames
2002 Richmond Hill Gallery, London
2006 Discerning Eye Exhibition
2007 'Body Language', Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow
2007 Paisley Art Institute Annual Exhibition
2
007 Five Lads and a Lassie, Old Lyme Art Association Art Gallery, Old Lyme, Connecticut and touring to New York
2008 Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition
and annually at: Islington Art Fair, London, Glasgow Art Fair, Bohun Gallery, Henley on Thames.
AWARDS
1988 The Spectator, Adam & Co, "Three Cities"
Competition - 2nd Prize
1989 The Spectator, Adam & Co, "An Artists Life"
Competition, 3rd Prize
1990 The Lady Artists Trust Club Award
Teachers Whisky Travelling Scholarship
Royal Institute – David Cargill Award
1991 The Scottish Prize The Royal Overseas League London
Royal Glasgow Institute Scottish Amicable Award
1995 Laing Landscape Award – Highly commended
The Scottish Prize Royal Overseas League
Hope Scott Trust Award
1996 Leverhulme Trust Research Award
Royal Glasgow Institute – Arthur Anderson Prize
1997 Winner The Britannia Life Lord Provost Prize Glasgow
1998 Royal Glasgow Institute, Scottish Amicable Award
1999 Arts Council Award
2000 Macroberts Open Award – Art Exposure Glasgow
2008 ING Discerning Eye - winner of the Scottish Prize
WORKS IN PUBLIC COLLECTION
Aberdeen Art Gallery
BBC Scotland
Motherwell District Libraries
Leicestershire Schools Collection
Lillie Art Gallery
Unilever
Trustee Savings Bank
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
WORKS IN PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Italy, Australia, Belgium, Canada, USA, Singapore and throughout Britain
PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA
Homes and Interiors, Scotland – Issue 13
Taking Risks by Clare Henry
The Spectator (April 1988, April 1989, August 1989)
Harpers and Queen (April 1990)
