Studio Visit With Ashley Joseph Martin

Studio visits are where the magic happens. There's something about stepping into an artist's space—seeing the tools they reach for, the books they turn to, the unfinished pieces gathering dust in a corner. You can feel the creativity pulsing in the air. 

When I visited Ashley Joseph Martin in his Philadelphia studio, it was one of those perfect early spring days—bright sun, a crisp bite in the air, birdsong drifting through open windows. The building is industrial, with high ceilings and scattered workshops. You can hear the murmur of other artists working nearby, a kind of ambient creativity that makes the whole place feel alive.

Ashley's studio, like his work, is full of intention. It's flooded with natural light and meticulously arranged. He told me he tidies it every day—he doesn't thrive in chaos—and you can feel that clarity in the space. There's an ease, a spaciousness, but also an abundance of inspiration. Sketches, maquettes, discarded carvings (even his discards are beautiful), shelves of reference books, old family photos, and souvenirs. One book stood out: a slim volume of paintings by his great uncle, Malcolm Parcell. Ashley lit up when he spoke about him.

Images of Malcolm Parcell's paintings and his home

Parcell had a house that sounded like something from a novel—part enchanted forest, part artist's retreat. Ashley described it as wild and overgrown, with crooked walls and a sense of magic threaded through every room. As a child, visiting this house made a deep impression. It gave him a glimpse into a different kind of life, one shaped by making, dreaming, and embracing the beauty of imperfection. That feeling lingers in Ashley's own work: the sense that each piece has grown from something ancient, weathered, and deeply personal.

There's a reverence for craftsmanship in everything he does. Ashley's father was a cabinetmaker—he passed away when Ashley was young—but the memory of working with him in the shop still lives in Ashley's hands. Many of his tools were his father's, others found on eBay and painstakingly restored. He showed me a few—rust gently sanded away, the handles smoothed and refinished by hand. These are objects with history. There's something moving about an artist who not only makes beautiful things but also surrounds himself with beautiful tools.

Ashley's own story winds through the woods of his childhood. He was homeschooled and encouraged to pursue something practical, but he was always making. He spent long hours building forts and carving sticks in the trees behind his house—an upbringing that now feels like an early apprenticeship. "It was a magical childhood," he said, and you can see how that magic is still present in the forms he carves today. When he got older, he yearned for more, and his world opened up. That opening is also apparent in Ashley's art. 

His work, with its hand-carved textures and elemental forms, draws you in slowly; the texture of the work invites the eye to linger and the hand to touch. There's a tactile intimacy in each curve and groove—a reminder that the human hand still matters. That slowness of care is an act of resistance in our fast-moving world. 

Doric Mirror Ashley Joseph Martin Shop now >

Doric Cabinet Ashley Joseph Martin Shop now >

He had on display two pieces he had just finished for my lake house renovation. A Chandelier and a monumental mirror. It was a treat to see them in the context of his creative world before they made their way upstate to be installed. 

As we explored the studio together, our conversation naturally drifted toward what was next. Ashley spoke about the evolution of his practice—not just as a sculptor but as a designer of objects that live at the intersection of art and function. We talked about the furniture and lighting collection he's currently creating for LES—how it can become a vessel for his vision, rooted in craftsmanship but scaled for the home. The forms are bold yet intimate, a continuation of the language he's been carving for years, now reimagined with function. 

Ashley with the chandelier he made for my lake house (email hello@lescollection.com for iniquries)

Leaving Ashley's studio, I felt the kind of calm you get after spending time with someone who is exactly where they're meant to be. Surrounded by memory, craft, and light, his studio holds not just the traces of what's been made but also the energy of what's still to come.

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