Ashley Metro is a 21-year-old artist based in LA and Austin. She does body art and styling, murals, canvas work, and photography, and her work has been compared to Keith Haring (with a more feminine perspective).
FRANK: Tell us about you.
ASHLEY METRO: I’m from Austin, Texas and I’ve been pursuing art and other creative outlets such as creative direction and styling since I was 17. I attended community college, completed all my basic curriculum a year out of high school. When I was 20 I dropped out of college, quit my job and moved to Los Angeles to really try to push my art career. After living in LA for about 6 months COVID hit, causing me to move back in with my parents in Austin where I spent most of my time creating this series that I featured in my first exhibition that was a massive hit and ultimately changed my life.
F: What inspires you?
AM: I’m mostly inspired by other artists, and being able to understand the complexity of other mediums and the narratives woven into them.
F: What’s your process?
AM: I focus a lot of my energy on achieving a flow state when I work. Being able to detach myself from what I’m creating to really allow my subconscious to wander. Sometimes I insert certain themes into my work by researching beforehand and taking notes on things I’d like to include in a work, other times I include themes based on personal experiences and feelings.
F: Do you have a favorite medium?
AM: Not necessarily, but personally I like working with street markers the most because of the sharp lines I’m able to achieve with them.
F: What’s a big goal for you?
AM:I have so many large scale goals and projects that I’ve been visualizing for many years now. One project in particular that I’d like to work on would be painting a full set, in a room where every crevice and object is painted in my style.
F: How does your art impact the culture?
AM: My work is attention grabbing and forces the viewer to really look into it and create their own meanings from whatever they find between the lines. I tend to put a lot of emphasis on the impact of media on our impressionable subconscious and how the social media hierarchy can be inherently toxic to young people who often have no choice but to participate in it.
F: How does the culture impact your art?
AM: Culture to me is something that can be curated through creating a meaningful group dynamic that can influence through ways of art or infrastructure. I have plenty of friends that are able to influence me and other creatives through their art and utilizing collaboration to bring powerful people together in order to make an impact.
F: What’s something you want people to know about your work?
AM: I hide hidden messages throughout my work a lot of which can be decoded if you are willing to truly look.
F: Do you have advice for girls that want to do art?
AM: Confidence is key, knowing that you are worthy and capable of greatness is the most important part of building the foundation of success.
F: What else do you like to do besides art?
AM: I love going urban exploring with friends and seeing what kind of adventures we can find.
F: What’s been a “fuck I made it” moment?
AM: This is really simple but, just being able to pay my own rent and completely support myself is a big accomplishment for me.
F: How can people reach you?
AM: My instagram is ashleyfuckingmetro and any business inquires go through my manager Pat Bedell.