Ashley is concerned with how pictorial conventions of painting the human body can serve as both a meditation and an exploration of the interplay between the physical and the psychological that are an inescapable aspect of being human. Her work is an exploration of the ways the unwell psyche can impact both the body and the mind’s ability to experience the world in a way that is consistent with reality. Open discussion of mental health concerns has traditionally been stigmatized, but with a growing social push in recent years, coupled with increasing research, it is gradually being destigmatized and discussed on a more open platform.
In 2016, she received her B.A. in Painting & Drawing from the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University in South Carolina. She was also a 2017 Brandon Fellowship recipient through the Greenville Center for Creative Arts in Greenville, South Carolina. She is working on expanding her artistic practice as an MFA candidate at Clemson University.