From Shrewsbury to Tracey Emin: Ruby Read’s Creative Journey

Interview originally published in My Shrewsbury Magazine 

Old Salopian Ruby Read is rapidly establishing herself as an exciting voice in contemporary portraiture, with her career taking a significant new step this year through selection for Tracey Emin’s prestigious Victoria House residency in Margate. 

In a recent interview with My Shrewsbury Magazine, Ruby reflected on the formative role Shrewsbury School played in shaping her artistic path. Joining the School as a Sixth Former in 2019, she studied Art alongside Design Technology and Economics, an interdisciplinary combination that reflects Shrewsbury’s encouragement of intellectual curiosity and creative exploration. It was during this time that Ruby first discovered oil painting, a medium that has since become central to her practice. 

After leaving Shrewsbury, Ruby completed a BA in Painting at Camberwell College of Art before progressing to the Royal College of Art, where she describes her experience as “transformative and affirming”. Her work centres on contemporary figuration, with portraiture, and particularly the human face, remaining a constant focus, even as her approach and technique continue to evolve. 

One of Ruby’s most ambitious projects to date, Natural Selection, has strong roots in her Shrewsbury experience. First exhibited at the School and due to be shown in London on 28 March 2026, the series comprises portraits of teachers, cleaners, grounds staff and other key figures who quietly shape the life of the School. The title playfully references Old Salopian Charles Darwin, reframing the idea of “natural selection” as a celebration of community rather than evolution. 

Speaking to My Shrewsbury, Ruby explained that the project was inspired by a large-scale portrait series she created at the RCA, capturing everyone on her course. “I became fascinated by the social and economic dimensions of painting groups of people,” she said, “and by the atmosphere created when individuals are seen together as a collective.” 

Ruby is now embarking on Tracey Emin’s Victoria House residency, a three-month programme that provides artists with the time, space and freedom to focus entirely on painting while living and working in Margate. During the residency, Ruby will develop a new body of portrait work and has already secured an exhibition in the town in January. 

Reflecting on her career so far, Ruby described success not as a single destination but as the ability to keep creating meaningful work, connect with audiences, and ultimately sustain a life in art. As she looks ahead to this next chapter, she hopes the residency will offer both inspiration and confidence as she navigates her first year beyond formal education. 

Ruby Read’s journey, from Shrewsbury classrooms to one of the UK’s most influential contemporary artists, stands as a powerful example of how a Shrewsbury education continues to nurture creativity, individuality and ambition long after pupils leave the School.