Referee Issue? Any Advice

So earlier this year I done an internship in the creative industry. I created loads of designs and illustrations for this company.

However for some reason I didn't send them the work I did. They hardly ever communicated to me during my time at the internship about the illustrations I done or how i'm finding the experience, they also ungrouped me from the design team.

To me they just wanted my ideas. So decided not to send them the work

I was going to use this company as one of my references. Throughout the interview process on some jobs that I applied for, I explained about the work I did with this company.

In terms of the reference process, As I haven't sent the company my illustrations... could I be denied a job because they have no record of my work?

I did send them previous work but they never used it anyway. I made work hoping they would put it up on their social media platform, but it was never used

Do you think I should ask the project manager at that previous company, whether i can use them as one of my references and then send them the work?

Do you have any advice

Doesn't sound like a very sensible reference to use. You have to make relationships work in order to get references. I certainly wouldn't put them as a reference without speaking to someone first and asking if they'd be a referee. Don't be surprised if they say no though.