Anastasia Pollard’s rich oil portraits place contemporary sitters in settings based on Cimambue frescoes and portray unfamiliar and known characters, such as Emily as Dorothy, in modern-day studios, in all cases coalescing old worlds with new in terms of portraiture and painting. Pollard has traditionally produced what could be classified as straightforward portraits, however with this emerging new body of work, a move towards painting about painting – considering influences and painting framework rather than painting purely to portray a sitter - is becoming apparent. This shift is particularly evident in the pieces Ghost of Cimabue, Ghost of Velázquez and Showgirl (a miniature based on traditional ‘miniature’ paintings).

Raised in Virginia, USA, educated at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, as well as the Florence Academy of Art, Italy, and having been privately apprenticed from 1993-1995. Anastasia had a solo exhibition of work at Mumford Fine Art in May 2008.

Education: Florence Academy of Art, Florence, Italy, Certificate of Completion (2000-2005); Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Certificate of Completion (1996-2000); Private apprenticeship (1993-1995); University of North Carolina, Greensboro (1990-1993); Northern Virginia Community College (1989-1990).

Exhibitions include: Dressing the Girl, Mumford Fine Art (2008); An Exhibition of Self Portraits, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London (2007); A View from Within, Mumford Fine Art (2007); Annual Exhibition, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, London (2005-2008); BP Portrait Award Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London (2006, 2007); W.H. Patterson Gallery, London (2005-2008); Talent Exhibition, Allan Stone Gallery, New York City; Artist’s House, Philadelphia (2001-2003); Annual Student Exhibition, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (1999, 2000); Emerging Artists Exhibition, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia.

Awards include: The Artist’s House Gallery Award (2000); Gross McCleaf Gallery Prize (2000), Earl T. Donelson Figure Painting Award (2000); Hobson Pittman Memorial Prize, Special Notice (2000); The William Emlen Cresson Scholarship (1999); Linda Lee Alter Award (1999); Celia Beaux Memorial Prize (1999); Melvin Paul and Pearl Miller Carpel Award; Lucille Sorgenti Scholarship (1999); Silvia S. and Miron M. Walley Memorial Scholarship (1999); Benjamin West Prize (1999).

Memberships include: Elected as a Member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.