I’m Ashleigh Williams and I’m average at best, aggressively mediocre- whatever you wanna call it. But, what do I have that you don’t? Materially, not much. But- I do have a mother that thinks I’m part of a gay cult, a diagnosis/medication list longer than any of my weaves, and unresolved trauma which makes for either sad or hilarious content. How do I curate these traits into art? Through pretty much any medium I can get my grubby mitts on – and if in doubt, I’ll throw glitter at it. It’s all about selling the fantasy. My work aims to highlight the importance of lived experience, through re-appropriation of the conventions of “blackness” and “disability” – and in return maybe have some content beyond your classic art jargon. Something my family can access. When you’re an underrepresented part of the ‘art scene’, presence and existence become socially engaging and political. Moral of the story? More people like us need representation.
