Ashleigh Johnson is the world best female waterpolo goalkeeper, a five time World Champion and two times Olympic Gold medalist. In 2016 she became the first African-American woman to make a U.S. Olympic Women’s Water Polo Team. She is also a Princeton graduate. After I photographed the 2020 US Waterpolo Olympic campaign, I it was clear to me that I needed to paint this extraordinary woman. Not a normal portrait in oil. I wanted to go deeper and show the HIDDEN SCARS that come with the hard and persistent work to become the world’s best. The 60x60 inch painting has multiple layers of thick, large oil paint brushes and unfolds a three dimensional feel best in very low light. The strength, power and beauty of Ashleigh’s soul is what I wanted to show with this painting. See what she says about it below.

HIDDEN SCARS 60x60 oil on canvas. 2022 private collection.

“The first time I looked at the piece that Poby painted of me, I was in shock because there was a larger-than-life size version of my face depicted on the wall in such a beautiful way that I couldn’t believe it! After a few moments of reflection, I started to see the painting a little differently, I felt a sense of awe at the depth of possibilities it represents. The strength, power, and confidence captured in those brush strokes are not just characteristics; they are aspirations. Poby’s painting is not me; it's a version of me that others see and that I want to be. It's a reminder of the resilience required to push through challenges and the beauty that comes from dedication and hard work. I and so many others aspire to the athlete and woman portrayed in that painting, knowing that with perseverance and determination, we can embody those qualities in our own lives. For me, this painting is a representation of the impact we can have on others, inspiring them to reach for their own greatness, as athletes and as people.
This work says a lot about who Poby is as a person and an artist. He is dynamic, insightful, and the beauty that he captures in his work is multidimensional. This beauty requires a second look, a third look to see and it reflects and then evolves. I’m excited to see what he creates next.”

-Ashleigh Johnson

More photographs of painting and details of brush strokes.