A contemporary Shrewsbury-based artist and Shrewsbury College Art & Design lecturer will see his work on display at this year’s prestigious Royal Academy of Arts Exhibition in London.

As well as being course Leader for the UAL Extended Diploma in Art & Design at Shrewsbury College, Ed Catley is an associate Lecturer at Staffordshire University. He has written and published several academic papers on a variety of Art & Design topics and now his work will be on display at the exhibition where great British artists including Gainsborough and Reynolds, Turner and Constable sharpened their skills against each other.

For over 200 years, the Summer Exhibition has offered a snapshot of contemporary art. The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is the largest, oldest and the most famous open submission exhibition in the world, almost 200,000 people visit the show each year and it is a prominent feature in the art world calendar.

Ed’s work was chosen by an esteemed committee of judges, including renowned contemporary conceptual artist Michael Craig Martin. Ed, said: “When I found out Michael Craig Martin was co-ordinating this year’s exhibition, I knew that I had to enter. He’s a leading artist of his generation and I was happy to hold up my work to his scrutiny.

Ed’s artwork, ‘Malcolm 2014’, is a three-foot by two and a half-foot, wood-cut portrait, which took him eight months to complete.

“Now that the ordeal of being selected is over, I realise that my teaching greatly informs my artwork, and as I teach I learn. But, I’ve also discovered the importance of putting in the hours, and never leaving the bench for too long.”

Ed has exhibited at various venues including the Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge Kasser Art Foundation in America.

John O’Connell, Creative Arts and Media Curriculum Leader at Shrewsbury College, said: “I just want to say a big congratulations to Ed for having his portrait chosen. For those that don’t know this is a massive deal!

“Our tutor’s expertise, skills and industry work helps to influence and contribute to our students learning experience.”

The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2015 will take place from Monday, 8 June until Sunday, 16 August. For more information, please visit www.royalacademy.org.uk/summer-exhibition

For more information about Art & Design courses at Shrewsbury College, including a suite of new Higher Education Creative Arts & Media courses, please come to the Advice Event on June 4 from 5pm to 7pm, visit www.shrewsbury.ac.uk or call 01743 342411