Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault, sex work, and related themes.
Ashley Morgan is first and foremost a painter. Despite her many talents and pursuits, she has always been aware of her deep love for painting; her love for the things it can accomplish and the stories it can tell. After graduating from RMCAD in 2023 with her degree in Fine Arts, Morgan has passionately pursued her art in every form, and unexpectedly found a new artistic path in the process. As she begins her pursuit of her Master’s Degree for Conservation and Restoration of Buddhist Art and History at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London she is bringing that same curiosity and passion for art with her.
Using Art to Start Difficult Conversations
Entering RMCAD with a portfolio of solely drawings, Morgan has always been confident in her interests and talents. Upon graduation, after three years of hard work towards her Fine Arts degree, one of her professors told her, “You’re one of the only people I’ve seen come in as a painter and leave a painter.” Morgan laughed at this observation, reiterating that “I knew what I liked.”
During her time at RMCAD her work focused primarily on feminism and the rights of women in sex work. “I often want to experience and talk about things from a feminine place. People have their opinions from where they stand, but they don’t treat women, sex workers, childhood trauma survivors, or sexual assault victims like people. So my goal is to ask ‘why not?’”
Her work explored the hypocrisy that is typically found in sex work and culture, as the industry is often looked upon with hate and shame despite it being one of the oldest professions in the world, and historically one of the most in-demand. “I found such camaraderie and faith in women. I had such intense love for the women around me and I wanted to give that back to the world and show that we all deserve to be treated like human beings, like people with hearts, souls, and lives. Lives that not everyone is going to agree with or care about, but I think we should.”
In 2022, she won the RMCAD Student Research Symposium while researching and discussing the connections between surrealism and mental illness in art. “There was a lot that I loved about being [at RMCAD], I learned so much, and that was my ultimate goal. I didn’t come here with any specific vision for my life. I was good at art, I wanted to be better. So I came in, and I started learning.” She credits the Research Symposium as one of the experiences that led her to her interest in research and conservation in the first place. Following her graduation, it would be a trip far from Lakewood, Colorado that would lead her in an unexpected direction.
Finding Her Direction
After graduating from RMCAD in 2023, Morgan continued her artistic pursuits throughout Colorado. For a time she partnered with M&D Artistries, a local Denver art gallery, and was featured in many of their exhibitions alongside artists such as Kodi Delaney. Additionally, she was featured in Firehouse Filth in Longmont in 2024, winning 3rd place for her work.
In 2025 she exhibited her first solo gallery at M&D Artistries titled “Intimate”. This work continued to explore the intimate perspective of seeing another person, and the intimacy of being open and exposed; being seen as who you are. “I’m fascinated by people, I don’t paint landscapes, I don’t paint anything else, but I always paint people. I paint me, I paint my friends, I paint people I’ve known, and I’m fascinated by the women in my life who have kept me afloat.”
In the latter half of 2025, Morgan was donating her work to The Blue Bench, a program dedicated to displaying art to raise money for sexual assault survivors. It was also around this time that Morgan and her partner would take a personal trip to Korea to visit family. Morgan said she has always admired Korea for their culture of resistance and strength, but her first time visiting was an experience unlike any other. “I fell in love with visiting Asia, I fell in love with travelling, I fell in love with the art there, and especially the history behind it all. It’s older than we’ve ever seen or known and it’s fascinating to me.”
It was here that she first envisioned a future dedicated to art restoration and conservation. “[That trip] really shifted my entire perspective. I got to see the art museums, explore the amazing history and the beautiful temples. I realized that this is something I can do to give back to the world. I give what I can of myself through my art, but I also want to give what I can of my knowledge.”
From Colorado to London
Leaving Korea with a newfound love for art restoration, Morgan immediately knew that the Courtauld Institute for Art was her next step. She sent in her application the following October, scheduled an interview for February, and received her offer almost a month later.
Morgan is both excited and intimidated to live outside of the United States for the first time and pursue this process of learning this new art form, “I feel confident that I can do this, but it is a very heavy thing that is on your shoulders and it is nervewracking.” With that knowledge comes an enormous amount of responsibility. As a conservator, Morgan will be trusted with pieces that have survived for generations, and she does not take that responsibility lightly. “How do you determine how a painting is supposed to look based on similar pieces from the same artist, or the same period? Sometimes you’ll see mistakes from the original artist; how do you determine what is a mistake versus what is intentional? How do you determine how the original artist felt about it? How do you mix paints and dye colors that are correct, but also able to withstand the test of time? And all of these elements I find fascinating.”
A Boundless Future
As Morgan looks towards the future, she hopes that conservation will give her the opportunity to travel and work internationally. “I would like to specialize in Korean art and history, but I really want to learn more languages while I’m in school and continue to improve my Korean. I’d love to learn more about Indian, Chinese, and Buddhist history. If I understand the history, the religion, and the culture behind a piece then I can understand how to fix it, and the care it needs.” She hopes to one day work with ICON, the Institute of Conservation, and other institutions where she can continue to give back and help others.
She advises her fellow RMCAD artists to, “Focus on your studies because you will learn a lot and you will walk out better than how you walked in.” In regards to her own artistic practice, she has no intention of stopping any time soon. “I still am an artist and I am always going to be an artist, that’s something I’ve learned from RMCAD. Being a historian is also part of who I am and it’s something I’m good at, but I am always going to keep making art because it matters to me that I keep doing it.”
