Home » Interviews » Artist Sheila Elias

Artist Sheila Elias

Introduction to Sheila Elias. 2:47 min. Interview: Raymond Elman. Post-Production: Lee Skye. Music: Carmen Cicero, Recorded via Zoom: 5/31/2022, Miami.

Artist Statment

My work is about the layers of life and art history, seeking in it a connection between art aesthetics and social consciousness. American sensibilities have influenced my life, the hues of my country found in the colors of my art. I like to bring an awareness of new directions and individual inventiveness. The evolution of technology has always paralleled my work throughout its development. From the original copy machine to today’s iPad, the influence of electronics permeates my process. Through life experience, I incorporate visual, emotional, and psychological impressions and feed them into my art.

My art, whether it is photography, sculpture, or paintings, has always been a visual interpretation of my internal landscape, which is significantly influenced by external landscapes. Therefore, this collection of work is an indirect reflection of my colorful, turbulent home, Miami. Miami, where multi-cultural history and the future clash on a daily basis, is a luminous kaleidoscope of raw, sincere emotions and harsh realities; urban tension mixed with profound beauty, compassion and optimism.

~ Sheila Elias

The videos below were recorded via Zoom, are organized by Success Factor, and run between 30 seconds and 8 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.

EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 1:02 min.

Where did you grow up and what was your first awareness of art of any discipline?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:51 sec.

You were so precocious and passionate about art at a young age. Did you feel like you were on a different planet from other kids?

OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED: 0:41 sec.

I assume that when you graduated high school you entered an art program.

VALUES FIRST-RATE EDUCATION: 0:32 sec.

I assume that Abstract Expressionism was the dominant genre when you entered art school.

VALUES FIRST-RATE EDUCATION: 1:17 min.

Which Abstract Expressionist artists were most important to you?

RESILIENCE: 3:56 min.

As a young artist, how much were you aware that the male-dominated, muy macho Abstract Expressionist art scene suppressed women.

CREATIVE FLEXIBILITY: 6:32 min.

Some of your work is monumental in scale and some of your work is miniature. What are your thoughts about scale? And how did you start making art on an iPad?

SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 2:22 min.

Tell us about the exhibition of some of your iPad paintings in Lake Como.

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 2:42 min.

It is apparent that you experiment with a lot of different materials and techniques. Talk about how materials impact your vision and the role of serendipity.

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 0:48 sec.