ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
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COLETTE LILLEY (b. 1984, United Kingdom) is an award winning drawing artist who works predominantly on paper in limited mediums. She has a Masters in Art and Design Practice from Loughborough University (2009) where she researched the link between dyslexia and creativity.
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The act of learning to see inspires Colette’s work, as observational drawing can quiet and focus the mind. Being neurodiverse, Colette often feels overwhelmed by her chaotic thoughts and through her drawings has created systems to give her thoughts a linear order. Drawing in a grid format, drawing each square in isolation, as well as the use of a limited medium, reduces distractions, allowing Colette to be in the present moment and her thoughts to progress. Each square of the drawing which is part of the whole also represents a moment in time and is a drawing in its own right. This has enabled Colette to continue her drawing practice since becoming a mother. Being able to continue her drawing practice is important to Colette, which is shown in how she explores ways of developing a daily drawing practice.
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Colette won the Visual Arts Association Exhibition & Scholarship Award 2024 and the Comme Ca Art X AWOL Studios Open Call Exhibition 2023. Colette's has exhibited nationwide, in venues including the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham, Guilford House Gallery, West Surrey, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol and the Mall Galleries, London.
SELECTED C.V.
Education
MA in Art and Design Studio Practice, Loughborough University, 2009.
BA Hons in Visual.Communication in Illustration, Loughborough University, 2006.
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Awards
Visual Arts Association Exhibition & Scholarship Award 2024, Winner.
Comme Ca Art X AWOL Studios Open Call Exhibition 2023, Winner.
Artist of the Year Awards, Best New & Emerging Artist 2025, Shortlisted.
Liverpool Hope & the Leaders Club Awards 2019, Shortlisted.​
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Selected Exhibitions
2025 The Williamson Open 2025, Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Wirral, 10th October – 13th December.
2025 Royal Society of Portrait Painters Drawing Prize; Revealing the Human, University of Hull, 3rd October - 30th November.
2025 RWA 172 Annual Open Exhibition, Bristol, 6th September - 28th December.
2025 Society of Graphic Fine Art, 104th Annual Open Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London 10th - 15th March.
​2024 Guildford House Open, Surrey, November - January 2025.
​2024 Summer Selection’ 24, Ladies Drawing Clüb.
​2024 Shuffle, Liverpool, April - May.
2023 RBSA Drawing Prize 2023, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham, September- October.
2023 Drawing (Paper) Show, The Bridewell Studio and Gallery, July - August.
2023 Liverpool Art Fair, The Royal Liver Building, Liverpool, June - August.
2023 Comme Ca Art X AWOL Studios Open Call Exhibition, Comme Ca Art, Manchester, May - June.
2023 Paper Cuts, 50_mv, Crosby, May.
2023 SHE, The Bridewell Studios and Gallery, February.
2021 Threshold Festival X, Liverpool, April.
2020 The Drawing show, The Bridewell Studio and Gallery, February.
2020 ​The Input Exhibition, Output Gallery, November - January.
2019 The Drawing Show, Arena Gallery, August.
2019 Lancaster Open, Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July - September.
2018 Hull Open, Ferens Art gallery, Hull, February.
2017 On-site: The Plasterer, The Dead Pigeon Gallery, The Tapestry, Liverpool, September.
2017 Lancaster Open, Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July - September.
2017 Magical Geometry, Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, January - March.
2016 Interlocked, Road Studio, Liverpool, October.
2016 The Dark Side of LightNight, 104 Duke Street Liverpool, May.
2015 Lightnight, 104 Duke Street Liverpool, May.
2015 Threshold Festival V, Liverpool, March.
2014 The Independent Artist Fair, London, October.
2012 Homeland, Wolstenholme Creative Space, Liverpool, January.
Curated & Co-curated Exhibitions
Drawing (Paper) Show, The Bridewell Studios and Gallery, July - August 2023.
SHE, The Bridewell Studios and Gallery, February 2023.
The Drawing Show, The Bridewell Studios and Gallery, February 2020.
The Drawing Show, Arena Gallery, August 2019.
The Dark Side of LightNight, 104 Duke Street Liverpool, May 2016.
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Groups & Projects
Liverpool Artists' Network a platform that provides resources for artists to connect with one another, art organisations, art venues and art groups based in Merseyside, 2015.
@Artist_Parent is an Instagram account dedicated to sharing the stories & artwork of Artist Parents, Grandparents & Caregivers.
@talk.drawing is an Instagram account dedicated to interviewing contemporary drawing artists.
Press & Publications
VAA Member of the Month - Prize Winner Interview, November 2025
‘What it is Draw a Face’ Podcast Interview, 2024.
Agogzine, 2024.
Drawing Paper no.9, 2023.
AWOL Studios X Comme Ca Art Open Call Exhibition Winner Interview, 2023.
Five2Watch Liverpool, Axis spotlight, July 2014.