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About Denese

Baltimore City  

Denese King-Ashley's artistic practice navigates seamlessly between monumental portraiture and intricate botanical metamorphosis, each piece revealing her masterful command of multiple mediums. In her recent large-scale portraits, she elevates familial subjects to near-mythological status. Working primarily in oil, graphite and pen, she captures the commanding presence of her subjects – a matriarch's quiet authority, a child's moment of contemplation, a mix of metaphoric… more

View Denese's Resume
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"Hello Beautiful"

  • Hello Beautiful
    "Hello Beautiful"

    In this striking portrait , a young woman sits centered against  a bold red background, her form anchored by the flowing waves of her blue skirt. The subject is captured in profile, her downward gaze  suggesting a moment of deep contemplation. Her bare head, a testament to her ongoing battle with breast cancer, becomes not a symbol of loss but one of profound courage.. While the aggressive red backdrop might typically signal danger or alarm, here it serves to amplify her presence. A testament to her unwavering spirit in the face of adversity.

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    "Within Us"

    This piece serves as an emotional transcription, encoding the various directions life pulls us. Like roots and shoots responding to their environment, we too are shaped by forces both within and beyond our control. Through this visual meditation, I reflect on how relationships, loss, and death are inevitable passages in our journey – some aspects we can influence, others we must simply experience as part of life's greater cycle.

    "Dreaming Of A World"

    This piece serves as an emotional transcription, encoding the various directions life pulls us. Like roots and shoots responding to their environment, we too are shaped by forces both within and beyond our control. Through this visual meditation, I reflect on how relationships, loss, and death are inevitable passages in our journey – some aspects we can influence, others we must simply experience as part of life's greater cycle.

    • Dreaming Of A World
      "Dreaming Of A World"

      Painting is done on canvas and measures 36" x 72" The composition is of a black male figure positioned centrally on the canvas. A bright yellow background, which symbolize hope, optimism, or illumination. The subject's gaze is directed outward beyond the frame. The pose representing aspiration and determination. The background creating a sense of brightness and possibility. The composition suggesting both presence and potential.

      Available for Purchase
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