When I first saw Elisa's work, my immediate thought was, "Art and design overlap so naturally." There are grid-like structures, yet gentle curves coexist on the same canvas. Organized logic and the traces of a hand that extend beyond it exist together on the same foundation.
Born in Belgium and based in Tokyo and Helsinki, Elisa discovered industrial design at 18, then studied textiles at Aalto University in Finland. Her initial motivation to pursue design was the ability to "be involved in people's daily lives." After graduating, she worked in the design department at Hermès before establishing her own studio in 2021. While she feels closer to being a designer than an artist, her approach of connecting everything—from paintings and textiles to spaces—has remained constant since then.
What Finland Changed
Elisa says that a major turning point was living in Helsinki. She deeply studied design at Aalto University, of course, but even more, Finnish culture and life changed her. The sense of nature being close in everyday life remains at the root of her inspiration.
It doesn't have to be grand nature. Fallen leaves on the roadside, dandelions, moss—observing such small, everyday natural elements is the starting point of her work. When asked about the moment ideas are born, the answer was, "When I'm taking a walk." If she has time, she takes detours on her way home. She believes that less planned journeys, where she gets a little lost, lead to wonderful encounters. This attitude translates directly into her creative process.
Elisa's walking route in Finland
Structure and What Extends Beyond
Observing her work, this sensibility comes across clearly. In pieces where thin lines are layered in a grid pattern, colors subtly change in each section. Lines that look like they were drawn with a pencil waver slightly, appearing regular yet breathing. In works where organic silhouettes, reminiscent of stones, are neatly arranged, the shapes aren't too uniform, nor are they scattered. That "just-right unevenness" cannot be accidental.
"The coexistence of planned structure and uncontrollable elements is much like the relationship between nature and humans," Elisa says. Her lines are always hand-drawn and slightly distorted. She finds warmth in that distortion.
About Color Diaries
She also has a consistent dedication to how she creates colors. She archives her self-made color chips, created by dropping acrylics, as a "color diary," and uses these colors as instructions for her creations. Just as she says she likes subtle "in-between colors," the colors in her actual works are precisely that. An inexpressible softness, a familiar newness. Colors that can't be definitively called gray or beige, and greens that are muted yet transparent. These are colors that would not emerge unless created by herself.
Ryuichi Sakamoto and a Calm Mindset
When asked about artists who have influenced her, the name of musician Ryuichi Sakamoto came up. She said she is continuously moved by his concepts, way of thinking, and worldview. Music was already a familiar presence to her, as both her parents worked in the music industry.
What she values when approaching her creative work is having a calm mindset. The reason she continues is simply because it's enjoyable. Drawing, contemplating designs, bringing them to life, and creating things while interacting with various people—she says these are invaluable times.
Elisa's studio
As a Quiet Presence in Life
Elisa shared that she hopes her posters, when displayed, can be "a quiet presence in daily life, a gentle support." She hopes they can be a trigger for a moment of calm when one casually glances at the art piece. She wants viewers to discover their own "good moments" when looking at her work—that's what Elisa told me.
