Ashleigh Rogers is an artist, art instructor and facilitator in Tri-Cities, WA.

Bio

Ashleigh is a visual artist based in Tri-Cities, WA. Ashleigh explores the themes of connection, shared stories, intergenerational trauma and healing through experimentation in painting, photography, installation and sculpture. In addition to creating, Ashleigh is passionately dedicated to facilitating accessible arts programming in her community. Ashleigh has a Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology and Fine Art from Washington State University and aims to use her education to draw connections and create dialogue around the impact of memory, intergenerational trauma and healing within familial units and communities .

Artist Statement

As the mother of four children, I often find myself exploring the transformational nature of birth and the intimate generational stories- frequently unspoken, that are passed through familial lines. My most recent project explores the possibility that our body may hold memories of our ancestor’s experiences,-memories we are not cognitively aware of, but are influenced and shaped by. Research on the topic of epigenetics and intergenerational trauma has shown that healing happens along familial lines when a bridge is created between spoken and unspoken experiences, allowing for a conscious shift of behavioral patterns, and coping mechanisms that may perpetuate harm. I aim to foster dialogue through my work, which encourages strengthened intergenerational relationships and communication, and creates a sense of empowered awareness. I draw upon my own familial stories and the stories of those close to me and use a variety of materials to create connections between them. I often use embroidery as a tangible thread of connectivity and ode to a craft practiced by the women who came before me. I enjoy exploring new materials, and much of my installation work is created using found items like fabric, cement, suitcases, embroidery hoops and old photographs to reflect the fragile, yet heavy quality of tradition, family, and connection. Additional tools used in my practice to explore birth, death, memory, connection, intergenerational trauma and healing include oil and acrylic paints, ink, charcoal, photography and sculpture.