Claire Massey "Hope and Despair"

Assembly Arts are delighted to be exhibiting paintings and drawings by artist Claire Massey.

Born in the post war years, Lancaster based Claire Massey continues to work from her home studio in Aldcliffe. As an only child of a father with tuberculosis and an anxious mother, Claire Massey describes being largely left to her own devices with drawing and painting becoming “a solace and refuge in my solitude.” As a young woman attending art school made sense and she initially attended Guildford School of Art prior to Camberwell College of Art. 

After graduating in 1970 Claire went on to work as a teacher in a variety of settings including as an art teacher in a grammar school as well as in a specialist institute for children with what were then described as "emotional and behavioural disorders".  Claire later worked with children with special educational needs and trained in counselling, working as a Counsellor Lecturer and Clinical Supervisor.   

"I never entirely stopped making and painting and…