Considered Spaces by Chloë Ashby | Rise Art
The value of art for curators, writers, designers, and collectors in their most meaningful spaces.
CHLOË ASHBY
Chloë Ashby is an author and critic who writes about art and visual culture for publications such as the Times, the Guardian, Harper’s Bazaar and The TLS. She frequently reviews exhibitions and books, and has interviewed artists including Judy Chicago, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst. She is the author of two non-fiction books on art history, including Colours of Art: The Story of Art in 80 Palettes. She is also the author of the novels Wet Paint and Second Self. Her third novel, Family Friends, will be published by Penguin Fig Tree in 2026.
Are there pieces in your home that have come to symbolise certain phases of your life or novels-in-progress?
Every piece reminds me of a moment in time. A small abstraction by my step-uncle for my graduation. A drawing of two arms interlinked from a friend to celebrate my wedding. An etching for my husband to mark our one-year anniversary. A painting of an artist and a nude model for my first novel; a painting of an open book on a shelf for my second. The most special: a portrait of me and my son by Eileen Cooper.
How do you use curated spaces at home to influence your creative mindset?
My office is filled with art and books, some permanent fixtures, others coming and going according to my work. Currently, I’m in the tingly-fingered stages of planning a new project, and beside me as I type is a precarious tower of texts on art made in and around 19th-century Paris. I also have a pinboard of postcards scavenged from public galleries and museums – my very own exhibition space.
What draws you to a particular artwork as a narrative hinge?
When it comes to art and fiction, for me it’s all about emotion. My first novel, Wet Paint, began with Manet’s A Bar At the Folies-Bergère: I used the barmaid’s uncomfortable gaze to explore how my protagonist sees and is seen. In my second novel, Second Self, the main character contemplates motherhood while working in conservation: it’s about how minds, bodies and paintings are at the mercy of natural forces and social pressure.
artwork selection
Curator's pick
Inside Your Heart by Tracey Emin
"A print that’s at once scratchy and seamless, delicate and deeply felt."
– Chloë Ashby
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