“Art called to me as a means to transmute raw emotion into beauty and connect with my higher self, serving as a profound spiritual practice.”
A Personal Tapestry of Memory, Spirituality, and Transformation
Tracy von Ahsen is a New York City-based artist whose work exists at the intersection of personal history, spirituality, and artistic reinvention. Growing up on Long Island in the 1980s and 90s, she was shaped by the natural beauty of her surroundings and the cultural shifts of the era. Later, her time at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) and her experiences within the legendary Chelsea Hotel provided an artistic foundation that continues to influence her creations. Through analog collage and photography, she constructs layered, emotionally charged visuals that explore the nuances of identity, trauma, and transcendence. Each piece becomes an intimate reflection of her ongoing evolution, documenting her journey toward self-discovery and higher consciousness.
For von Ahsen, art is more than a creative practice—it is a transformative tool for emotional alchemy. Her approach channels deeply personal experiences, translating them into vibrant, multidimensional compositions. By deconstructing and reassembling images, she breathes new life into fragmented memories, using visual storytelling as a means of healing and empowerment. Alongside her work as an artist, she is also a certified spiritual coach, a role that complements her artistic process. Free from the constraints of financial dependence on her artwork, she is able to create authentically, allowing her creativity to unfold organically over the past decade. This balance has given her the space to experiment and refine her distinctive voice.
Themes of spirituality, transformation, and liberation permeate von Ahsen’s work. Her art serves as a dialogue with her higher self, a form of co-creation that draws upon symbolism to explore deeper emotional and psychological layers. Sexual identity and the rejection of societal norms are recurring motifs, reflecting her commitment to self-expression without limitations. Fashion also plays a vital role in her visual language, serving as both a personal and artistic medium. She views clothing as a costume for the ego, a vehicle through which individuals shape their realities. By weaving these elements together, von Ahsen constructs a body of work that is both introspective and universally resonant.
Tracy von Ahsen: A Process Rooted in Intuition and Experimentation
Von Ahsen’s creative process is fluid and immersive, relying on an environment filled with inspiration. Her workspace is a carefully curated collection of fashion and nature magazines, providing a continuous stream of imagery for her collages. Music is another vital component, acting as a bridge between her conscious mind and deeper states of intuition. Whether listening to Portishead, Björk, or Massive Attack, sound becomes a guiding force, helping her access the emotions she wishes to express. She also finds creative stimulation in spiritual podcasts and film, allowing ambient noise to shape the rhythm of her workflow. Despite the limitations of urban living, she transforms any available space into a functional creative studio, embracing the adaptability required of a New York artist.
Surrounding herself with artistic influences further fuels her work. She keeps visual reminders of mentors—both real and imagined—on her studio walls, including David Lynch, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Their presence serves as a guiding force, urging her to push past creative barriers and explore uncharted territories. Beyond fine art, von Ahsen draws significant inspiration from film, music, and fashion, seeing them as extensions of her visual language. She is particularly drawn to the work of directors like Stanley Kubrick and Wong Kar-wai, as well as designers such as Alexander McQueen and Rick Owens, all of whom share her affinity for striking, unconventional aesthetics.
Photography, particularly analog methods, remains a cornerstone of her artistic exploration. She was initially drawn to the medium for its immediacy, using it to capture raw emotion through long exposures, multiple exposures, and deconstructed Polaroids. Her transition into collage was a natural evolution, as she began repurposing unconventional imagery found in fashion publications. Objects that might seem mundane—old telephones, cigarette butts, red-painted nails—become recurring symbols in her work, each contributing to a broader narrative of nostalgia and self-exploration. Through these techniques, von Ahsen continues to challenge the boundaries of visual storytelling, crafting compositions that exist in a space between the real and the surreal.
The Magic of the Chelsea Hotel: A Defining Artistic Moment
One of von Ahsen’s most significant pieces is a photograph taken during her time at the Chelsea Hotel, an iconic New York landmark known for its storied past and ties to creative legends. One night, she captured a long-exposure image of the shadow cast by her balcony. While taking the photograph, she saw only darkness and structure, but when she developed the slides, she discovered something unexpected—vivid bursts of hot pink and green that had not been visible to the naked eye. The image, untouched by Photoshop, was a spontaneous manifestation of what she describes as artistic magic.
This moment was a profound affirmation of her creative path. The Chelsea Hotel, rumored to be haunted, had always exuded an energy that resonated with von Ahsen’s intuitive and spiritual sensibilities. As someone drawn to the mystical, she viewed the experience as an undeniable connection to a higher power, a reminder of the unseen forces that influence her work. The photograph became more than just an image—it was evidence of a dialogue between the physical and metaphysical, reinforcing her belief that art is a conduit for something greater than the self.
Beyond its supernatural intrigue, the piece encapsulated the essence of what she strives to achieve through her art. It was an unfiltered moment of creative synchronicity, a rare instance where the universe seemed to collaborate with her vision. The photograph remains a deeply personal artifact, representing not just a pivotal year in her life, but also the enduring magic that fuels her artistic practice. To von Ahsen, this work is a testament to why she continues to create—an eternal pursuit of moments where the unseen becomes visible.
Tracy von Ahsen: Pushing Boundaries and Envisioning the Future
As von Ahsen continues to evolve, she remains eager to push her artistic boundaries even further. One of her current interests involves expanding the scale of her collages, envisioning them printed on fabric or canvas to explore new dimensions of texture and form. The interplay between material and image is an exciting avenue for experimentation, allowing her to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary techniques. She is also drawn to the idea of integrating her work into urban spaces, imagining a large-scale collage displayed on the side of a building in New York City. This ambition speaks to her desire to break beyond the confines of personal expression and bring her art into the public sphere, where it can engage a wider audience.
The concept of transformation, both personal and artistic, remains central to her creative ethos. She continues to approach her work with a sense of curiosity and openness, allowing ideas to emerge organically rather than forcing them into predefined structures. Whether through photography, collage, or mixed media, von Ahsen’s process is an ongoing dialogue with her subconscious and the world around her. Her ability to embrace change and unpredictability is what keeps her work dynamic, ensuring that each new project is an extension of her evolving self.
With a rich tapestry of influences and an unwavering dedication to her craft, von Ahsen is carving out a unique space in the art world. She is not merely documenting emotions—she is reconstructing them, giving them new life through visual storytelling. As she looks toward the future, her artistic journey remains one of exploration, discovery, and boundless creative potential.
