Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Lazarz.
Hi Ashley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
People always ask me, “How long have you been doing this?” and honestly, I don’t have a definitive answer. I’ve always loved art. Growing up, I looked forward to art classes, and I was constantly doodling in the margins of my notebooks during boring math classes. Creating was always something I naturally gravitated toward.
In high school, I took my first drawing class and really fell in love with the feeling of creating. Art gave me a way to escape the outside world and enter my own little bubble. I also took photography, which opened my eyes to the storytelling side of art. I loved creating scenes, dressing up my friends, and photographing them. I became fascinated by how much emotion, drama, and personality could be communicated through a single image.
When I went to college, I minored in Studio Arts, and that was when I really began developing my artistic practice and figuring out what I loved most. I kept coming back to painting. There was something incredibly freeing about it—the layers, the movement, the different brushstrokes, and the realization that a “mistake” didn’t have to be a mistake at all. I could build on it, cover it, transform it, or let it become part of the story.
For a long time, though, I struggled with seeing myself as an artist. I had the work, but I didn’t always have the confidence to believe that it belonged in a gallery or that people would want to see it. At 29, I finally started letting go of that imposter syndrome. I began believing in my work enough to put it out into the world, and that decision completely changed the trajectory of my practice.
Now I’m exhibiting in galleries, curating exhibitions, becoming more involved in Austin’s art community, and working toward my first solo exhibition. I’ve realized that the biggest thing standing between me and the artist I want to become was myself. I’m finally embracing that identity, trusting my work, and giving myself permission to see where it can take me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I definitely wouldn’t call it a smooth road, but I think that’s part of what makes where I am now so exciting. I feel like my art career has just begun, and there is so much ahead of me that I’m excited to explore.
A lot of my biggest struggles were personal. I went through a period in my life that ultimately pushed me to get sober, and during those years, I struggled to believe in myself or even make art consistently. I felt disconnected from myself and from the creative part of me that had always been there.
Now, three years sober and 30 years old, I have a completely different sense of who I am. I think that newfound sense of self has made my work stronger and, more importantly, much more “me.” I’m no longer worried about whether I’m creating what I think other people want to see. I paint what I want, from my Females in Film series, to completely abstract work, to paintings of everyday objects like chairs. I’m much more willing to follow an idea simply because it excites me.
In a lot of ways, the struggles I’ve experienced have found their way into my paintings. Art has become a form of therapy for me… not in a clinical sense, but as a way to process what I’ve carried, release emotions I didn’t know how to articulate, and make sense of my experiences.
I think the hardest part of my journey was learning that I didn’t have to wait until I felt completely ready to call myself an artist. Now, I’m finally allowing myself to create freely, and that freedom has become one of the most important parts of my practice.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I primarily work in acrylic and mixed media, moving between abstraction, portraiture, and work influenced by street art and contemporary painting. I love experimenting with bright color, layering, texture, and line work, and I’m not particularly interested in limiting myself to one subject or style. My work can move from a portrait of a woman inspired by a film to a completely abstract composition or a painting of something as ordinary as a chair. For me, following the idea is more important than fitting into a category.
What I’m most proud of right now is the body of work I’ve created over the past ten months for my first solo exhibition. At a certain point, I realized I could keep waiting for a gallery to accept my proposal, or I could create the opportunity myself. So I rented a gallery for one night and built the exhibition I wanted to see which is a combination of a solo art exhibition and a rave experience. The show, RED ROOM, takes place September 5, and I couldn’t be more proud of putting myself out there and believing in my work enough to fill an entire gallery with it.
I think what sets me apart is my genuine love for life and my curiosity about everything around me. I love meeting other artists, discovering new work, traveling, experiencing different cities and cultures, listening to music, and finding inspiration in unexpected places. I want to be an artist who is not only making work, but actively participating in the creative community around me. I’m constantly learning, experimenting, and saying yes to new experiences, and I think that energy naturally finds its way onto the canvas.
Any big plans?
I’m excited because I feel like things are finally starting to move. I recently landed my first exhibition outside of Texas, and I’m currently in New York City, which honestly feels surreal. My goal is to continue expanding into galleries and art communities not only across the United States, but internationally as well. I want to keep challenging myself to put my work in new places and see how it connects with people outside of the community I’ve built in Austin.
I’ve also recently gained a mentor who I lovingly call my “Fairy Art Mother.” Having someone with more experience to guide me, encourage me, and help me navigate the art world has been incredibly meaningful.
At the same time, I’m trying to resist constantly asking myself, “What’s next?” It’s easy to become so focused on the next exhibition, the next gallery, or the next milestone that you forget to appreciate what is happening right now. I’m learning to celebrate the small wins and actually be present for the life I’m building.
I’ve also become an active member of an Austin-based art collective, which has given me opportunities to curate, collaborate, and become more involved in the community that has supported me. For now, I’m focused on taking those baby steps toward a much bigger dream: one day owning my own gallery and creating opportunities for other artists to show their work. So many galleries in Texas have taken a chance on me, and I’d love to eventually be able to give another artist that same opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ashleylazarz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleylazarz.art/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-lazarz
