Ella (b. 1997) lives and works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh Nations. She works primarily with watercolour and graphite on paper, and has a multi-disciplinary practice that also includes textiles, graffiti, and paper marionette making. Her work is largely figurative, and explores themes of vulnerability, sexuality, and how memory and emotion are held in the body. She perceives her figures and landscapes as characters that inform each other, and that tell stories in a visual language threading together in continuous dialogue. The influence of Germanic folklore and fairytales can be seen in her work, along with the Surrealist traditions of Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, and Frida Kahlo. Ella is inspired by the therapeutic possibilities of art-making – something which she witnesses in her own practice, as well as in her recreation work with seniors, youth, and at-risk populations. Art as therapy grounds her in her practice, and motivates the compositions and stories that emerge in her work.

CONTACT:

emacqueendenz@gmail.com

Instagram: ella.so_moves