Ashely Worden (b. 1982) is a Detroit based multimedia artist who is most emphatic about creating original work within reach of a public space, from wheat paste to large scale installations. Linework is her jam; portraiture, her love. She primarily sketches in ink and prefers paper, textiles and acrylics to any other media. She is a truth seeker drawn to untold stories, particularly those aligned with self-confrontation, nurturing safe spaces and amplifying female voices.
“Symmetry and proportion are exaggerated often in my work to emphasize the inequity and instability of my subject – the exaggeration accentuates her thoughts, her doubts, her shame, her choice, her support system, her search for her place in the world around her. My compositions aim to make women feel seen in their own relationships, in their own bodies, in their own purpose and in their own lives.”
Worden completed her BA at Michigan State University in 2006. Her work has been included in exhibitions including The Music Gallery in Toronto, Hairpin Arts Center in Chicago, ArtPrize in Grand Rapids and she was a resident artist of Creative Labs in Baltimore. Her paste ups have been internationally recognized throughout the UK and EU. Worden works closely with the Detroit based record label, Infolines, and manages the installations for Imbue Detroit. She was a featured artist of Detroit Month of Design 2023 and has displayed work locally at Gallery 46, PLAYGROUND DETROIT, Corktown Studios, The Annex Gallery and the Voyeur Bordello.