Artists
Leslie Thompson
Leslie has been a studio artist at Venture Arts for over thirty years. He is widely exhibited and his work features in significant collections both in the UK and overseas.
Leslie Thompson
Many of the TV Screens Everywhere
Leslie Thompson
Leslie Thompson
Monica Rambeau
Leslie Thompson
Crowd of People and the Different People
Leslie Thompson
My New Favourite Shop
Leslie Thompson
Many of the TV Screens Everywhere
Leslie Thompson
NU_BIA
Leslie Thompson
Kaleidoscopic Realms
Leslie Thompson
Safari Picture, the changed world
Leslie Thompson
YESS LAD exhibition
Leslie Thompson
Kaleidoscopic Realms
Leslie Thompson
Leslie Thompson has been a studio artist at Venture Arts for over 30 years. Working across ink, paint and ceramics, he draws from memory to create richly detailed scenes of family life growing up in Moss Side in the 1970s and 80s, entire film sequences, and vivid worlds populated by animals, TV characters and musical heroes.
Leslie works at both intimate and monumental scale, often combining autobiography with fantasy — placing his mother at Arndale Market alongside superheroes, or weaving figures such as Dolly Parton and Bob Marley into deeply personal recollections. His work is energetic, imaginative and unmistakably his own.
Renowned for his live drawing and large-scale murals, Leslie has gained a reputation as one of Britain’s most dynamic contemporary artists. His work has been exhibited widely across the UK and internationally, including at The Lowry, Salford (2023), TJ Boulting, London (2022), Paper Gallery, Manchester (2022) and in Tokyo (2019). In 2021, his intricate piece Animals from Memory was acquired by the Government Art Collection.
In 2023, Leslie was selected to take part in a collaborative project between the Royal Society of Sculptors and Art et al, and was commissioned by the Government Art Collection, alongside nine other British artists, to create new work marking the coronation of King Charles III.
In 2026, Leslie is exhibiting work in Delaine Le Bas: Un-Fair-Ground at the The Whitworth, further cementing his position within the UK’s contemporary art landscape.
Leslie Thompson's exhibitions and events
- Delaine Le Bas: Un-Fair-Ground 31st May 2026
- Happy & Glorious: Coronation Commissions from the Government Art Collection 26th Apr 2026
- Outside In National Open | Shelter 22nd Jan 2026
- Outside In National Open | Shelter 19th Oct 2025
- Arte X Igual Festival | Patagonia 1st Apr 2025
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In the Detail, Project Ability
Glasgow International Festival,
2021. -
Thumbs Up
Castlefield Gallery,
2020. -
Environments, Outside In
National Open Art Exhibition, London,
2019. -
Venture Arts at The Manchester Contemporary
Manchester Central,
2019. -
Manifest Arts Festival
Hulme, Manchester,
2019. -
Springfest
Victoria Baths, Manchester,
2019. -
ParaArt TOKYO, International exhibition promoting the art and culture of people with learning disabilities in Japan and the world
Japan,
2019. -
Spilling Out, Joint presentation with Castlefield Gallery and Venture Arts
The Manchester Contemporary, Manchester Central,
2018. -
It Is Now, International Summit for Learning Disabled Artists,
Glasgow,
2015. -
MADE, Venture Arts Studio Show
People’s History Museum, Manchester,
2015. -
The Art of Nature, Venture Arts Studio Show
The Lowry, Salford Quays,
2014. -
Articulate, Venture Arts Studio Show
The Lowry , Salford Quays,
2013.
My art is about cartoon strips, buildings, people and other things. I’m the best at drawing animals, I see them at the safari park. I’m proud of myself, I’m a superstar. My art is of all history of god’s world we live in.
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A3 Prints
2018
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
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Limited Edition Models
2022
Commissions
We are delighted when people want to commission work from us and our artists. This can either be as a group project or an individual artist creating one of their unique pieces for you.
To find out more and to arrange a studio visit please contact Katherine Long on 0161 232 1223 or email katherine@venturearts.org
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