Student Ashley McLean Explores Masculinity and Identity in Solo Show

Visual Arts student Ashley McLean recently enjoyed a solo exhibition, Seeking You in Other Bodies…, at the Blue Sky Gallery, as part of The Annual En Foco Photography Fellowship. The exhibition delved into her complex relationship with masculinity and the male figures in her life, particularly in the context of her experiences with an absentee father. Through her photography, McLean conveys profound care and tenderness, capturing the freedom and purity of the Black males she photographs, while challenging stereotypical representations.

“‘Hold fast to dreams, for when dreams go...’ was initially inspired by a Goya painting I saw at the MET," said Ashley. The painting features a little boy in all red, posing while holding a bird tied to a rope, with a birdcage in the background. I was immediately captivated by the colors and palette Goya used, but I also felt it spoke to innocence and what it means to collaborate with children in such a constructed way. I thought the photograph I created symbolized holding on to a child version of myself, and an excerpt from Langston Hughes's poem ‘Dreams’ perfectly encapsulated that feeling…. It served as a photographic reminder to cherish and nurture the childlike hopes and dreams within me.” McLean said. 

The exhibition highlighted the duality of freedom and purity in her subjects, framed against a backdrop that evokes both isolation and the weight of personal history. McLean's work reclaims the Black male persona, blending formal portraiture with a visceral exploration of fatherhood and nature, straddling the line between the sublime and the mundane.

“I think the vulnerability in my work is connected to my personal history, and I'm exploring that connection. 'Doney and Solomon (I & II)' began from the realization that I didn't have any images in my family archive of my father and me. At the same time, I know young fathers who are present and considered what it would mean to contribute to their family archive.”

At its core, McLean's work seeks serenity and healing, addressing the emotional wounds from her childhood marked by longing. 

“My past and lived experiences constantly serve as catalysts that shape my art practice. It’s a grounding approach to start from such an honest place, in my opinion. Whether what’s in the frame is explicitly connected to me or not, it always stems from my subjectivity.” 

Ashley McLean is an artist based in New York City. She received her BFA in Photography and Video from the School of Visual Arts and briefly studied in the Fine Arts program at the Universität der Künste Berlin in 2021. She has exhibited both domestically and internationally, including in the 2022 Dior Photography and Visual Arts Award for Young Talents group showcase. In 2023, she was honored as one of the recipients for the Creator Labs Photo Fund from Aperture Foundation and Google Pixel. 

The Annual En Foco Photography Fellowship aims to support photographers of color who showcase exceptional quality in their work, as evaluated by a panel of peers and industry experts. The Photography Fellowship Program awards grants to 10 fellows per year.