Home is not my own
Ashlee Becks
- Sitter: Ashlee Becks
- Medium: Oil on Canvas
- Dimensions: 50cm x 60cm
- Representation: Artereal Gallery
About the artwork
The thick impasto brushstrokes give this self-portrait a raw honesty. Ashlee Becks depicts herself crouched in the corner holding onto her legs. She bravely pulls the viewer into her world with her piercing stare. She is vulnerable but also determined.
The artwork explores themes of self-imposed isolation and loneliness within the home. “For many, home is a safe space, but what happens when intrusive and destructive thoughts make your home theirs? What do you do when you can’t be alone but the thought of leaving the house induces deep dread?”
For Ashlee Becks, the use of impasto speaks directly to these questions and the anxiety that accompanies it.
“Some marks are detailed and intricate, others violent and expressive. It is hoped that by being transparent with the struggles that accompany mental illness, others will feel more comfortable to do the same.”
About the artist
Ashlee Becks graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from QCAD, Griffith University in 2020, and that same year had her first solo show at Grey Street Gallery. She has done a short-term residency at Salamanca Art Centre and was a finalist for the Brett Whitely Travelling Art Scholarship. She has been a Brisbane Portrait Prize finalist several times, and last year won the Artists Circle grant.
