Artist Statement:

This artwork was created out of a 30-Day Art Challenge that I started to show the commitment I made to myself to simply “Create More Art”. These sketches and paintings were made each day in the month of November of 2023 and were an exploration of the value of having the right perspective. Creating a theme of changing the eye of the subject into positive icons such as a heart, sun and flowers shows how we should aim to view life and most importantly ourselves more positively. For example, seeing ourselves through the lens of love (hence, using the heart icon for the eye) can help us to ultimately treat ourselves better, which can breed acts of self-love. Also, this artwork displays my true love for portraits that are captured not only on paper, but on camera. My choice of photography are portraits that relate to the theme of “Blossomed” as the flowers are present within them. These portraits represent that we are all beautiful and are continuously evolving and blossoming. 

Full Bio:

Ashley Mia (b. 1993) is a photographer and contemporary visual artist based in Chicago. She received her Bachelors of Design in 2017 from the University of Illinois - Chicago where her direct focus was in graphic design. She grew up loving art and everything about it. From drawing, painting to dancing, all of this influenced her eye and passion to be a visual artist. Her photography has a signature focus of creating portraits that bring out the natural essence and beauty of a person. With her art, she primarily creates her drawings and paintings on canvas and paper. She has honed in on her own signature theme throughout her art that emphasizes the importance of having the right perspective as she creates icons for the eyes that represent positivity. Overall, she prides herself on being multi-disciplined and multi-talented; and has no issue of displaying all of the artistic gifts inside of her.