Elisa has been active as a professional artist in Aruba since 2002. She took part in every one of the past seven art fairs, with her clothing, her silk scarves, or her paintings and in 2024 she exhibited both fashion and artwork.
Artisa Gallery now features a collection of her work, Activate Yourself, themed around personal growth, besides some other excellent artwork by prominent local artists, such as Belinda de Veer, Kim Violenes, Alejandra Vallejo, Helena Hoes, Rani Varde, and many more worthy of visiting at Space21 Gallery.
For ArtFashion, which unfolded the Wednesday before the fair, Eliza had 18 models on the runway and all clothing exhibited, tee-shirts, dresses, tops, skirts, were sold out immediately after the fashion show.
For the Activate Yourself collection, Elisa printed a small booklet, which was given to gallery visitors, explaining her vision, her practical principles of a better life.
About the artwork: All silkscreens are recycled, then Elisa added fabric and 3D images, as well as an assortment of bric-a-brac items found in vintage stores in the Netherlands, representing steps along the way to personal growth. Elisa reports that having found the elements she wanted to incorporate into the work, they were all stuffed into a giant suitcase and the Customs people in Aruba inspecting her purchases thought she was crazy, she says. It was junk for them, a treasure to her.
The thirteen panels in the collection outline what we must do to awaken, energize, and ignite the passion that can be found within. The white canvas was a perfect backdrop to start layering silkscreen prints, symbolizing twelve stages of evolution, before the thirteenth panel, announcing success. The journey starts with a Decision to Activate, and Setting Clear Goals, then continues with Practice Self-Reflection, and Embrace Continuous Learning. These important practices, Elisa states, help us define who we are, at the beginning of our quest for self-fulfillment.
The series then goes on to include Cultivate Empathy, Develop Healthy Habits and Give Back to the Community, as much needed practices on the road to self-realization.
Elisa reports she worked on the execution of the Activate Yourself concept from June, until one day before the artwork was hung in the gallery, on September 1st.
Other practices deserving our attention, Surround Yourself with Positive Influences, Practice Gratitude, and Improve your Resilience.
Having created the canvas panels of do’s, the last one, Stay True to Your Values, fosters integrity, she explains, which is the cornerstone for artistic ambition.
Becoming a better person is a continuous process, Elisa concludes, that requires intention and effort, and if one starts his/hers journey today and embraces the path of self-improvement with an open heart and mind, transformation follows.
The series of panels by Elisa Lejuez will next be shown at ArtBasel in Miami at the beginning of December, so hurry up visit the Artisa gallery and admire the work, before it is packed to travel overseas, to be viewed by the world.
