Ashley Almeida is a first-generation Portuguese-American digital illustrator residing in Somerville, MA. Although born in nearby Cambridge, her childhood was spent across various cities and schools throughout New England. Her thoughts were often adrift, creating fantastical worlds and stories that she would bring to life thorough drawing.
She went on to attend several pre-college courses on scholarship at the Art Institute of Boston (at Lesley University). With the completion of the program and high school, she continued her education at AIB. Graduation in 2013, she was awarded the Senior Exhibition Award in Illustration by Howard Yezerski. Over the following two years she co-curated and crowd-funded an anthology featuring thirty-seven artists and their works. Much of this time was spent working on collaborative design, direction, content, and promotion of the anthology.
Ashley's influences encompass a breadth of media, ranging from literature and graphic novels to animation and video games. An interest in the human psyche and cultural superstition are a constant springboard for conceptualizing her work. She finds inspiration in the works of artists like Hayao Miyazki, Junji Ito, Fiona Staples, Hirosaki Samura, James Jean, and Tomer Hanuka.
In the years to come, she hopes to continue curating and participating in collaborative projects, while building on her repertoire of work and illustrative skills.
email: info@ashleyalmeida.com | ashaillustration@gmail.com