I'm Ashley Zabarte, the artist behind Hey Maker. My work is more than just pretty flowers. It serves as a reflection on feminism and its intricate complexities. This work is an outlet for my personal feminine emotions and a critique of society’s tendency to reduce a woman’s identity to her appearance through the male gaze. I use texture as a form of resistance, rejecting societal pressures for women to look and behave perfectly.
These sculptures are created with armatures and paper clay made from what otherwise would be discarded. Whether it’s saving cardboard boxes or packing materials from local gift shops, I’m going to find a way to use it. I think that because my work is inspired by nature and feminism, it’s important to use materials that leave our world with just a little less trash.