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Born in Wigan, England in 1957, Eric Gaskell studied painting and printmaking at Wigan College and Sunderland University. After leaving art college in 1980, he was awarded two painting scholarships — to New York and Istanbul — as well as the Sunderland Fine Art Prize.
Since the early 1980s, Gaskell has worked continuously within the creative industries, teaching, illustrating and exhibiting widely. His work has been shown in New York, Quebec, Ghent, Dublin, London and across the UK in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He is a member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art, the Printmakers Council and the Royal Birmingham Society of Arts, with artworks held in both private collections worldwide and public collections throughout the UK.
Drawing has always been central to Gaskell’s practice — a diary, an academic discipline and a way of developing ideas. His work is colourful and structured, shifting from tightly figurative pieces to symbolic and iconographic imagery informed by genealogical research.
Although he continues to paint, printmaking has become increasingly prominent in recent years . He favours linocut for its strong, flat colour and distinctive mark‑making, qualities that align closely with his working methods. He enjoys the contrast between the medium’s immediate graphic impact and the many days of work required to produce each piece.
Gaskell acknowledges a range of artistic influences, including Edgar Degas and Egon Schiele for their draftsmanship; Georges Braque, Keith Vaughan and Eric Ravilious for their varied approaches to painting; and Edward Bawden for his printmaking.