Broken Open - Fine Art Print
A Black woman in serene contemplation—eyes closed, hand resting near face in meditative gesture—occupies the left foreground, her skin glowing against explosive background of hot pink, sunshine yellow, turquoise, coral, and burnt orange. Behind her, an ornate carved wooden door with elaborate circular patterns stands sentinel—threshold unopened, destination unknown. Most striking: scattered throughout the lower composition are broken eggshells, their fragile curves and fractured edges rendered in terracotta and cream tones. The eggs represent fertility, potential, birth, or the necessary breaking that precedes emergence. Heavy impasto creates actual dimension where paint becomes sculpture. The woman's peaceful expression contrasts with the violence of breaking—she is not distressed by the destruction but perhaps accepts it as necessary transformation. A teal heart-shaped element hovers near her chest, suggesting what survives even when everything else cracks open.A fine art print of an original mixed-media artwork by Megan Ashman, produced on the selected material and sized to preserve the artwork’s composition as closely as possible.
Details
This listing is for a fine art print of the original artwork Broken Open.
Original artwork size: 10x8.
Original artwork materials/techniques: mediums/materials: phosphorescent paints, found objects, paper, wax, photo collage, oxidative inks, distress paint and inks, acrylic pouring, digitally altered images, acrylic paint, watercolor, spray paint, walnut ink, staining mediums, tissue paper, mica powders, glitter, heavy gel medium, gesso, pebeo prism and fantasy paints, ceramic paint, stained glass paint, alcohol inks, iridescent inks, distress crayons, charcoal, pastels, oil pastels, string, beads, jewelry, gems, chains, buttons, foils, newspaper, vinyl, plastic, walnut inks, india ink, colorshift paints and more!
This is a reproduction, not the original mixed-media painting.
Print Materials
Glossy Photo Paper: A bright, smooth, glossy print option designed as an affordable way to collect the artwork. This finish gives the image crisp detail, strong color, and a polished photographic surface.
Premium Smooth Matte Fine Art Paper: A smooth fine art paper option with a clean matte surface for crisp detail and rich color.
Textured Watercolor Fine Art Paper: A fine art paper option with a soft textured surface that adds depth and a traditional art-paper feel.
Luminous Metallic Fine Art Paper: A luminous paper option with a subtle pearlescent finish for bold color and glowing depth.
Satin Poster Paper: A satin-finish poster option for larger display sizes with strong color and a polished surface.
Canvas Print: A canvas print option for select standard sizes, produced for a gallery-style display.
Print Options & Sizing
Print sizes are selected according to the original artwork shape. Sizes are chosen to avoid stretching and preserve the composition as closely as possible.
Fine art paper sizes are kept to standard small and medium formats. Satin poster sizes are used for larger and panoramic formats. Canvas prints are only offered where the shape and size are appropriate.
Made to Order, Signature & Certificate
Each print is made to order, carefully packaged, and signed when possible. A Certificate of Authenticity is included with each print.
Original Artwork
The original artwork is currently available. View the original artwork listing for full details, pricing, and availability.
Artwork Notes
Hidden Images & Elements: The contemplative woman represents Black femininity, inner strength, spiritual practice, and the wisdom that comes through surviving what should have destroyed you.. The ornate door symbolizes opportunities, thresholds, choices, or the doorways we stand before when life breaks us open to new possibilities.. Broken eggs carry complex symbolism: fertility and miscarriage, potential and failure, the necessary destruction of old forms so new life can emerge, or the violence inherent in all birth processes.. The heart shape suggests love, emotional center, or what remains intact within breaking.. Her closed eyes indicate inward focus—this transformation happens in invisible dimensions.
Interpretation: This profound piece explores the concept of being "broken open" rather than broken down—the way trauma, loss, or crisis can crack us like eggs, releasing something new that could not emerge any other way.. The woman's serenity suggests hard-won peace with this process, or perhaps the Buddhist concept of accepting suffering as teacher.. The piece also speaks to Black women's experience specifically: the ornate door they stand before despite broken shells at their feet, the beauty and strength maintained through what would shatter others, the heart that persists through every breaking.
Poetry: She gathered the shells of every self she'd been and called them threshold, not ruin.
