Ashlee Deven

Ashlee Hick is an interdisciplinary visual artist working across mediums such as Drawing, Textiles and Photography. Her work is greatly influenced by personal experiences with body dysmorphia, insecurity and bullying. Ashlee highlights adversity and finds ways to normalize having interior and exterior differences so that everyone can feel represented in media and art no matter their appearance or mental health.

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Artist Statement

My art practice serves to educate viewers in topics of different bodily adversities and insecurities. It strives to de-stigmatize mental health issues such as eating disorders, anxiety and body dysmorphia in addition to various medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, vitiligo etc.. These themes are explored through stories of real world people, designed to help others feel represented in new media, as well as help youth and adults newly experiencing such characteristics, adapt to them.

 

While being an interdisciplinary artist, most of my work falls into either graphite drawings or illustrative textiles. Visually, my work commonly shows different portraits of people dealing with mentioned insecurity / condition, to switch the narrative from something they desire to hide, into something they are no longer ashamed of. It is my belief that through exposure, we as a community and generation can “normalize” everyday issues or feelings that many deal with. 

 

My studio practice involves engaging with new voices to deepen my own understanding of the subject matter, as well as reading through historical and modern texts deciphering mental health and western beauty standards. I find myself focusing on texts examining how insecurity is formed, through trauma, bullying, childhood and other influences. My research practices also involve senses of community, by representing one condition experienced through many different lenses.

 

My work functions as representation for those who feel they have to hide parts of themselves from the world.  I am incredibly passionate about making sure every group of people feels confident and comfortable in their skin, no matter the challenges in front of them.