Ashlee Gines


Master of Design in Fashion, Body and Garment

Some people believe there is no oppression to people of color, but no one wants to stand in our place. There are people I never met that discriminate against me based solely on the amount of melanin in my skin. I create work to stand in it, to give viewers a piece of me without the preconceived ideas of what my pigmentation may reveal to them. My work explores current social and political ideas with a focus on issues regarding people of color. I am using my work as a lens of the African-American perspective. I am drawn to these issues because of the public focus on incidences with police brutality, injustice toward people of color, and high incarceration. With many situations in regard to social and political issues, I am also inspired by the strength and ability of many to come together and to progress after such tragedies. My goal in creating social and political art is to induce a discussion amongst different groups of people. I hope to continue the conversation of progress in society to benefit all people, and to create a stop in violence across different ethnicities. I experiment with various mediums to explore the evolving context of  these social and political conversations and how they can be a reflection in my work. My current work includes garments and installation pieces, but are not limited to these mediums. By incorporating different ways of stitching, printing, painting, and combining different materials, I am able to define these powerful messages through my creations.