Artist Elsbeth Shaw’s lifelong creative journey has taught her to always see things through, to make her own opportunities and to follow her heart. Her advice to other budding artists? “Find your own voice and always, always finish the painting,” she advises.
Elsbeth’s foray into the artistic world began when she was a child. Her mother was a fashion buyer, Elsbeth her eager young helper. “My role was to hold the circular discs ready to hand to the models, to signal interest in the clothes that they wore,” she says. “This is the history that rooted the very foundation of my art.”
Elsbeth went from the hallowed ground of fashion showrooms in London to working as a studio assistant
for an artist for many years. It was at this point that she decided it was time to launch her own artistic career. “I resolved to finally showcase my own pieces, to take the artistic leap,” she says.
It was a move that saw Elsbeth come into her own as an innovative artist. She notes that a career highlight was a collaboration with Sir Paul Smith, when her work was showcased in his London store. “Those pieces will always hold a special place in my heart,” she remembers. “It was pure excitement bringing them to life!”
Creative experiences like those have fuelled many wonderful full-circle moments in her journey, from fashion to art and back again. “The works I create always carry a theme of fashion but can include architecture or design elements,” she enthuses. “They interchange with each collection.”
Elsbeth works with a broad range of mediums, including chalk, oil, acrylic and ink. Her favourite pieces in her current collections are “Caitlin is studying a doctorate in marine microbiology”, as well as “It’s a new dawn” and “I’m feeling fine” from the Art Within series.
In home interiors and textures, Elsbeth gravitates towards the calming hues of blue and green. “My work, however, is energised by the juxtaposition of layers and textures — contrasts between soft and angular,” she says.
Elsbeth credits connecting with Studio Gallery in Australia as being one of the most pivotal moments in her career. “It brought my art into dialogue with collectors and designers working across fashion, interiors and architecture, the very influences that shaped my practice,” she explains.
She is captivated by the chair as a vessel for design, admiring the simplicity of Eileen Gray’s Roquebrune and the Pilotta chair by Rodolfo Dordoni. “At home I have both a well-loved Vitra and Moooi chair, so the collection has officially begun!” she beams.
Forever inquisitive and imaginative, Elsbeth is always focused on her next series. When we caught up with her, she was in the midst of creating three distinct collections and hopes to continue forging new collaborations and continuing her exploration of diverse mediums and artistic options.