Faces of Depression

Artist

Elise Aleman

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Artist bio

Cuban-born and U.S.–raised, Elise Aleman (b. 1960) is an artist living and working in Savannah, Georgia. Her work is shaped by a lifelong journey between cultures, a pivotal career change, and a continual search for spiritual meaning, where faith, memory, and migration powerfully intertwine. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design (BFA, 2021) and Georgia Southern University (MFA, 2025), Elise is a renaissance talent who fearlessly navigates the realms of painting, printmaking, installation, and mixed media. She builds layered surfaces and immersive environments using diverse materials, including oil, acrylics, encaustic wax, cyanotype, gold leaf, and projection, blurring the boundaries between the tactile and the transcendent. After a successful 30-year career in graphic design, Elise courageously returned to fine art to reclaim her identity as a painter and to share her faith. Unapologetically a Christian artist, she wields her creative prowess to breathe visual life into biblical themes and beliefs. Rooted in theological truth yet shaped by exile and renewal, her work merges scripture and personal history to reveal light within loss and hope within transformation. Her graduate thesis exhibition, Theopoetics Prothesis, was an experiential dialogue that transformed scripture and personal history into an immersive work of image, sound, and revelation. Elise Aleman's art is a testament to resilience, faith, and the enduring power of creativity. Her creations aim to spark introspection and provoke a transcendental experience, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Visual Arts 2022 Contest

Title

Medium/Genre

Painting

Artist Statement

This multiple-self-portrait drawing represents the many faces of depression, an homage to my mom and her lifetime struggle with an unseen enemy. The smiling face masks the real emotions underneath, framed by quick multicolored blind contours representing how quickly her moods changed and the many masks she wore.

She suffered from chronic depression for as long as I can remember. This didn’t just happen one day. There was a time when she looked to the ruler of this world, the prince of darkness rather than the giver of life and light to solve her problems. Alzheimer's has taken over now but not before she put her faith in Jesus. One day the enemy will have no more influence over her, but for now, the struggle remains. Underneath, though, there is something I never saw growing up...the inexplicable joy of heaven!

How it fits into contest

Our battles feel real because they are, but there is more to it than meets our earthly eyes. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12.

When we fight these battles “in our flesh” the enemy wins. There is only one way to fight spiritual fights--with prayer and surrender to Jesus.

Credits

It is a self-portrait, however, I want to acknowledge my mother, Paula, who inspired the idea. I made this for her.

Other Goods & Services Available from this Artist

I own an online Christian Gallery. https://www.exnihilogallery.org
I sell original work and prints by other artists as well as my own work. I am always looking for more artists to represent. See the footer on the website for artist information.
Additionally, I post weekly devotionals on Sundays using artwork from the gallery as inspiration. https://www.exnihilogallery.org/devotionals

Follow on Instagram @exnihilogallery.