Statement & Biography

As has long been said, and said rightly, the personal is political. I use photography, sculpture, installation, drawing and painting – whatever it takes – to express a variety of conditions faced by the human body and spirit. My practice is inspired by moments of pain and loss; the artwork is generated from pieces of evidence left behind after substantial experiences of transformation and personal evolution. I tend to work very serially with each body of work evolving from the ones before and catalog each of these as chapters in my oeuvre – “the art of personal mythology.” It is my belief that great art stirs mystery and memory and I strive to create unfolding experiences that draw on our unique, but collective human emotions.

Elyse Defoor (b. Greenville, SC, 1952) is a multi-disciplinary artist, juror and curator who lives and works in Atlanta. She received her education from the University of Georgia and the Atlanta College of Art. For the last thirty years, she has used her art to respond to the wonders and the tragedies of the world. She consistently uses personal iconography as a vehicle to outwardly express her inner response to universal conditions. From this passionate inspiration, she produces artwork that causes a visceral shift in the eye and mind of the viewer.

Defoor’s photography, drawings, paintings, sculpture, and large-scale installations have gained international recognition. In addition to numerous private collections in the USA, Singapore, Switzerland and Africa, her work has been collected by MOCA GA, Acoustic Headquarters, and the New York Public Library.

In 2022, a solo, survey exhibition entitled “Slivers of Time,” with thirty-four of Defoor’s works of art (including her first oil painting at age ten) was hosted by the Art Institute of Atlanta. In 2024, Defoor’s work was exhibited in “A Room of Her Own”at The ArtsXchange in Atlanta and was reviewed by ArtsATL. Her work was also selected for “Gathered” at MOCA GA and MOTION > BLUR at Praxis Photo Arts Center in Minneapolis.

Defoor’s residencies include The Hambidge Center for the Arts and VCCA–Virginia Center for Creative Arts.

The 2024 February issue of “Buckhaven”magazine featured “Elyse Defoor’s World” with an image from “Beautiful Danger”on its cover.

Video documentation of “Elyse Defoor–Slivers of Time,” “Loss. Redemption. Grace,” “Uncloaked,” “Unbridled,” “all of us, alone” and her “Relics of Marriage” outdoor installation, along with exhibition tours may be viewed on Elyse Defoor–YouTube and on this website’s Podcasts & Videos page.