Ellen Porteus 'Treasured Possession, Precious Obsession'
Artist Statement:
My artwork often uses ideas, symbols and metaphors from nature to explore our complex inner selves. I feel limited by language alone to explain a feeling, so I express it in my art instead. This piece is about being drawn towards what you fear. The character in this artwork is caught between the seemingly opposing emotions of bliss and alarm. I used water in this piece because I feared the ocean when I was a child - it felt so big and powerful. But even though I was scared, I also loved it. Jumping into the waves, being sucked in, bobbing under and waiting for the next wave to come. The words 'Treasured Possession, Precious Obsession' also communicate this see-sawing between feelings, as they are words that could have positive or negative connotations depending on the context.
Ellen Porteus – Artist Bio: Ellen brings vibrant worlds to life through her art, which spans animation, illustration and installation. Ellen's unmistakeable artworks are an expression of her world: combining eye vibrating colour, cartoonish maximalist compositions and play-on-words. She is deeply inspired by the complexities and contradictions of our inner worlds, and nature at large. A distinguished artist, Ellen has worked with Meta, Nike, Disney, Apple and many more. Ellen is based in Melbourne, Australia.