Ashleigh Spice is a photographer and artist and has a rare condition affecting her central nervous system called Neurocardiogenic Presyncope, along with Autism, Epilepsy and other comorbidities. She graduated from university in 2013 with a First Class BA (Hons) in Photography.
Ashleigh was bed-bound, unable to move or speak when she was younger, and still struggles to this day. She requires daily help to take care of herself and is an ambulatory wheelchair user. These ‘interruptions’ she has had to deal with in life have been the soul context around her art.
Ashleigh’s work often depicts how her Autism and physical health have restricted large parts of her life. Ashleigh’s portraits encourage the analysis of the self, attempting to display her disabilities that often appear hidden in a typical photograph or certainly in daily life.
‘My practice is a way for me to breathe; to be able to step back from my life which can get very hectic in my brain and help me look at it from a spectator’s view and process it easier. I like that it gives others a chance to see how I see. It’s mindful and therapeutic – I get lost in it. I think it helps me understand myself and how I am feeling. I started the same line of work when I was just 13 (self-portraits, eyes) and only when I was around 23 I started to realise why I am so intrigued by that – my health! And, after being diagnosed in 2019, my autism!’
Find out more:
Instagram: @ashleighspiceart