We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Schriefer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

When I was in 8th grade I had lost the closest person to me – my sister Tara – to brain cancer.

It shook me and changed the way I coped with life and loss.

I was always fascinated with the human body and its functions and malfunctions but now – I turned my interests into a message.

During my MFA in 2016 I chose to do a series on the 5 stages of grief.
Every image was paired with glioblastoma cells – the cancer that took my sister’s life.
While creating the work I felt a sense of purpose to convey that grief is common and also universal.

The series was done in black and white to better convey the raw emotion and imagery.

Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an artist and an educator . I graduated from LIU Post with my MFA in 2016. And have been teaching art at Roosevelt middle school since 2013.

I have always loved art and truly believe it can save lives.

I create work that gives a sense of comfort. What if we turned our bodies inside out and displayed all the inner workings of our mental, physical and emotional health?
Instead of a façade of what we want to portray – I create work that has the viewer see it is more than acceptable to feel any emotion.

After my series for my MFA I wanted to broaden my idea – not just cancer and grief but anxiety – depression- trauma.

I pair this portraiture and imagery with environments that can help ease the ailment- such as the ocean- sky- or gazing at the moon.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

During a group show – at One Art Space in Tribeca NY I was explaining to a stranger the motivation behind my paintings . She became emotional because she connected with the idea and feeling.

I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is connecting with others. Art is universal and I am so grateful I have the ability to spread my message to others

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Throughout my life I have experienced many losses. Most recently the loss of my best friend to a fatal car accident and my father to a sudden heart attack. I’ve learned to grieve in healthy ways and remember to never take my life for granted. In my darkest times I remind myself that I have a purpose here and that my loved ones would want me to enjoy life to its fullest. My resilience has been put to the test many times and I continue to bounce back from depression through my art. My art gives me an outlet and creates a healing process. It reminds me to be grateful for every experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.ashleyjoanart.com
• Instagram: Ashleyjoan_art
• Facebook: Ashley Joan