People focused on drawing sketches on canvases in an art class.

Curated exhibitions & original works

JOYCE ASHWORTH GALLERY

Artwork: Figure 1A: On the Matter of Silence

Acrylic | 3 feet x 4 feet | Framed

FINALIST

20th GSIS National Art Competition 2025

ARTIST STATEMENT

Joyce Ashworth is a contemporary Filipino artist whose practice moves between abstraction and contemporary realism, exploring emotion, memory, and form through color, texture, and gesture. Her work ranges from quiet, restrained compositions to layered, expressive explorations, guided by intuition, rhythm, and emotional clarity.

In her approach to contemporary realism, Ashworth reinterprets familiar objects—such as harvests, vessels, and textiles—within softened or abstracted spaces. These elements are treated less as literal representations and more as carriers of atmosphere, memory, and lived experience.

Rooted in rural memory, ritual, and the intimacy of everyday forms, her practice invites viewers into spaces where feeling and clarity converge. Each work functions as a quiet offering—balancing presence and restraint, material and remembrance.

BACKGROUND

Raised in Lumban, Laguna, and originally from Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Joyce Ashworth began painting in 2019. Her entry into the practice was shaped by exposure to contemporary Filipino art and mentorship, including the influence of Fidel M. Sarmiento, President of the Art Association of the Philippines.

Working primarily in acrylic, Ashworth creates paintings on canvas, wood, and ceramic surfaces. Her abstract works explore the interplay of light and shadow across deep tonal fields, while her representational pieces engage familiar forms with a contemporary sensibility. Across both approaches, her work reflects a consistent visual language grounded in material sensitivity and attentive process.

Her practice has received recognition in national competitions, including multiple finalist placements in the GSIS National Art Competition (2023–2025), with an Honorable Mention in 2024. In 2025, a representational work was named a finalist in the Sining Filipina Painting Competition.

Ashworth’s works are held in private collections in the Philippines and internationally, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, and Saudi Arabia. She has been a member of the Art Association of the Philippines since 2021.

MEDIUM

Joyce Ashworth works primarily in acrylic, with graphite and charcoal incorporated into her contemporary realism pieces. Each material is approached according to its specific qualities, allowing process and surface to shape the direction of the work rather than adhering to a single stylistic outcome.

While canvas remains her primary support, Ashworth has also explored alternative surfaces, including acacia wood, porcelain plates, bottles, ceramic tiles, and sandpaper. This expanded use of materials reflects an ongoing interest in how surface, resistance, and texture influence mark-making and perception.

As Ashworth notes, working across materials allows for greater responsiveness within the studio, supporting an evolving practice rather than a fixed method.

RECOGNITION

AWARDS & COMPETITIONS

Finalist

20th GSIS National Art Competition (Non-Representation), 2025

Finalist

Sining Filipina Painting Competition (Figurative), 2025

Honorable Mention & Finalist

19th GSIS National Art Competition

(Non-Representation), 2024

Finalist

18th GSIS National Art Competition

(Non-Representation), 2023

PUBLISHED ARTIST

2026 - Lady Masters of Contemporary Philippine Arts

2024 - Alphabet of Filipino Contemporary Artists, Volume 2

2023 - Art Association of the Philippines, Contemporary Artists

GSIS National Painting Competition Catalog - Official catalog of participating artists showcasing Representation and Non-Representation Artworks, covering the years 2021 - 2025.

EXHIBITS

Online Abstract Minimalist Exhibition (Inaugural Edition) — SikoraArts, NY, Jan 2026

Selected Online Presentations — Joyce Ashworth Gallery, 2024–2025

Selected Group Exhibitions — Philippines (various venues)

(A complete exhibition archive is listed on the CV available for download.)

Curated exhibitions & original works

JOYCE ASHWORTH GALLERY

Introduction

ARTIST STATEMENT

BACKGROUND

MEDIUM

RECOGNITION

AWARDS & COMPETITIONS

PUBLISHED ARTIST

EXHIBITS

EXHIBITS

Joyce Ashworth Gallery

Curated exhibitions & original works

Subscribe

Downloads

Curated exhibitions & original works

JOYCE ASHWORTH GALLERY

Introduction

ARTIST STATEMENT

BACKGROUND

MEDIUM

RECOGNITION

AWARDS & COMPETITIONS

PUBLISHED ARTIST

EXHIBITS

EXHIBITS

Joyce Ashworth Gallery

Curated exhibitions & original works

Subscribe

Downloads

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