THE ART OF ASHLEY COLLINS

  • Private Opening Night | RSVP HERE Friday, August 1st | 5:00–7:30 PM 6:00 PM – Artist Talk at the Gallery...
     

     

    Private Opening Night | RSVP HERE

    Friday, August 1st | 5:00–7:30 PM

    6:00 PM – Artist Talk at the Gallery

    *RSVP REQUIRED FOR ENTRY*

     

     

     

     

    Public Opening Night | RSVP HERE

    Saturday, August 2nd | 5:00–7:30 PM

    6:00 PM – Artist Talk at the Gallery

    *RSVP REQUIRED FOR ENTRY*

  • ASHLEY COLLINS, B. 1967 (PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA) ASHLEY COLLINS, B. 1967 (PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA) ASHLEY COLLINS, B. 1967 (PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA) ASHLEY COLLINS, B. 1967 (PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA)

    ASHLEY COLLINS

    B. 1967 (PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA)

    A self-made powerhouse in contemporary art, Ashley Collins emerged from homelessness and assault to become one of the most recognizable female artists working today.

    Collins' journey is as layered as her paintings—each one built from antique book pages, archival material, and fragments of history, then torn apart and reassembled using industrial tools. It’s a process that mirrors her life: beauty forged through brokenness, and strength carved from struggle.

     

    Her large-scale mixed-media works aren’t just seen—they’re felt. Viewers often describe a visceral connection to the texture, scale, and emotional depth. Collins believes in imperfection as truth, and in art as a form of healing—not just for herself, but for those who experience her work.

     

    Beyond the canvas, her impact is global. She has personally funded over 10,000 cleft palate surgeries for children, supported orphanages, built schools across multiple continents, and provided vaccines and medical care in underserved regions. In recognition of her humanitarian work, Collins was named a United States Envoy for Tanzania and Africa.

     

    As an artist and philanthropist, Collins bridges the emotional and the material—reminding us that art is not just about what we see, but who we become.

  • The Hands That Came Before

    The first layer on Ashley Collins’ panels is always book pages—endless layers of old dictionaries and encyclopedias. For her, this forms a wall of societal “noise”—the constant messages from media, family, and culture telling us who we should be. Rather than escape it by retreating from the world, Ashley quiets the noise through her art. Each collage layer softens the last, building a visual meditation that brings beauty forward and pushes the noise into the background.

     

    As she nears the surface where she’ll paint, Ashley uses rare 1860s pages from Harper’s Weekly—pages once passed from hand to hand in small towns where books were scarce. With thousands of lives having touched these pages, their presence becomes part of the work. Their energy, history, and even DNA create a powerful emotional resonance in the final piece.

     

    When the collage is complete, Ashley sands through layers, allowing time to peek through—only then does she begin to paint.

     
  • HIGHLIGHTED COLLECTIONS/COLLECTORS Cultural Palace Museum [Beijing] Museum of Fine Arts [Hanoi] Singapore art Museum [Singapore] U.S. Embassy, Tanzania U.S. Embassy,...
    Bowie House - Fort Worth Texas

     

    HIGHLIGHTED COLLECTIONS/COLLECTORS
    Cultural Palace Museum [Beijing]
    Museum of Fine Arts [Hanoi]
    Singapore art Museum [Singapore]
    U.S. Embassy, Tanzania
    U.S. Embassy, Brunei
    Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame [co-inductee, Georgia O’Keefe]
    Alice Walton – Founder Crystal Bridges Museum
    Lady Gaga
    Kitt Moncrief
    John and Abbey Winkelried
    Greg Abel
    Brian and Veronica Grazer
    Steven Spielberg

  • Preview the Collection at Aspen Grove Fine Art

  • “Perfection is the opposite of beauty.”

    “My first painting sold for $2,500. I gave half away. That’s when I knew I was doing this for more than just myself.”

    “Being a woman in this industry means making your own rules—and refusing to apologize for it.”

    - Ashley Collins