About

Esme Keenleyside b.2002

Esme Keenleyside was born in Rayleigh, Essex, and studied for her Fine Art Foundation diploma at SEEVIC College in Benfleet. She graduated from the Winchester School of Art in 2024.

During her degree she set up the WSA Artists Collective; a collective designed for undergrad students at WSA to showcase their work in spaces outside the university. Since founding the collective in 2022, Esme has organised and curated 2 shows- one at The Railway Inn in Winchester, and another at The Alfred Arcade, Southampton, through the help of ‘a-space’ arts.

In February 2024 she was nominated by the university for the Freelands Foundation Painting Prize. In June 2024 she received the Nancy Balfour Painting Prize. Esme has recently become a member the Ripe Collective, in the year of the PAPAYA. In July 2024, she co-curated and exhibited in a graduate arts show at Turps Gallery, London.

Esme has been selected to take part in the Tracy Emin Artist Residency (T.E.A.R), and will be a part of the 2025-2026 cohort.

Education

2025-2026- Tracey Emin Artist Residency (T.E.A.R), Margate

2021 – 2024 – BA Fine Art, Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton

2020 – 2021 – Foundation Diploma, Seevic College, USP

Solo Exhibitions

2025- A Year in PAINT, Focal Point Gallery big screen

2023- The New Forest ( and the existing forest ), Winchester School of Art Sculpture Space

Group Exhibitions

2025- TEAR 2026, online exhibition of the Tracey Emin Artists Residency artists 2025-2026

2024- You Crazy Child, Turps Gallery, London

2024- WSA BA Fine Art Degree Show, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

2023 – Interim WSA Show, Winchester Gallery, Winchester

2023 – 5 Years Time, WSA Artists Collective, The Alfred’s Arcade, a-space arts, Southampton ,

2023 – Come Together, WSA Artists Collective, The Railway Inn, Winchester

2023 – Fragments, Winchester Gallery, Winchester

2022- All Together Now, West Side Foyer, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

2022- Salon Show, Painting Studio, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

2022- Black Holes, University of Southampton Science and Engineering Fair, Southampton

2022- The End of the Beginning, West Side Foyer, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

2022- Interim year 1 exhibition, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

2021- Nick Stewart Group Show, West Side Foyer, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

Residencies

2025-2026- Tracey Emin Artist Residency (T.E.A.R), Margate, UK

2023- 2-Week Artists Residency with Rhiannon Richardson, St Swithuns Independent Girls School, Winchester, UK

Selected Appointments and Workshops

2022- present – Founder, Winchester School of Art Artists Collective .

2024- workshop assistant, Focal Point Gallery

2023-2024 – Administration assistant and Social media Manager, WSA Painting Prize, Winchester School of Art

2023-2024 – WSA Artists Collective Social Media Manager

2023-2024 – Outreach assistant, Winchester Gallery

2021 – 2023 – Focal Point Advisory Board Member, Focal Point Gallery, Southend

2023 – Art Workshop Assistant, Southend City Jam, Focal Point Gallery 

2022-2023 – National Saturday Club Assistant, Winchester School of Art

2023- UCAS Fair University Representative, Excel Centre, London

2023- Student Ambassador, Winchester School of Art Open Day, Winchester School of Art

2022- Workshop administrator, Godalming College, Surrey

2021 – 2022 – WSA BA Fine Art Social Media Manager

2020- exhibition assistant, ‘In My Room’ , by Rosie Hastings and Hannah Quinlan, Focal Point Gallery, Southend

2019- exhibition assistant, ‘The World After’, David Blandy, Focal Point Gallery, Southend

2018- Stage operator and Festival assistant, Village Green Festival, Metal Arts, Southend

2017- Volunteer/ work experience, Metal Arts School Southend

Nominations

2024- Winner of the Nancy Balfour Painting Prize

2024- Freelands Foundation Painting Prize nominee

Curatorial

2024- You Crazy Child, Turps Gallery, London

2024- WSA BA Fine Art Degree Show, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

2023- 5 Years Time, The Alfred Arcade, a-space arts, Southampton

2023- Come Together, The Railway Inn, Winchester

2023- The New Forest (and the existing forest), Winchester School of Art Sculpture Space, Winchester

Public Talks and Interviews

2024- Southend Creatives BIG Conversation

2024- WSA Degree Show, interview for Hampshire Chronicle

2021- ‘S for Southend’, interview with Aaron Shrimpton, Focal Point Gallery