Ashley Angstadt is a ceramic artist based in St. Petersburg, Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Penn State University and began her ceramic practice nine years ago in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Her work explores femininity through curvaceous, smooth, and timeless forms. In her ongoing body of work, That’s So Girl, Angstadt uses atmospheric firing processes, including pit, salt, soda, and wood firing. This technique creates unique surfaces shaped by the unpredictable relationship between clay, gas, flame paths, and oxygen levels, making each piece impossible to replicate. 

Through her work, Ashley seeks to initiate a dialogue about the historical challenges women face while coming of age and the societal expectations imposed upon them. Her use of lamps as a metaphor is intentional; Ashley views them as objects that quietly fulfill their purpose —illuminating and warming a space—without receiving anything in return. In this way, the lamps symbolize the often unseen emotional labor, care, and selflessness traditionally expected of women.