“When I was 32 my therapist said: ‘You are an artist.’ I smiled saying ‘That would be too good to be true’. I started painting and realised that nothing is too good to be true. I am fascinated by humans, our feelings, and the ways we can connect to each other – or not. When I paint, I don’t think. So painting is my way of escaping my own eternal inner talk for a while and express what lies behind. The most beautiful things in life we cannot see, but only feel. Welcome to my world.”
Elisa Gratias
Born in 1983 in the German Democractic Republic
Studied translation in Leipzig, Geneva and Toulouse
Moved to Paris in 2009 and worked as a freelance translator
Moved to Mallorca in 2014 and started writing and painting
What I love about art: When you share it with other people, their reactions give it back to you. It creates this feeling of abundance and vibrancy.
Elisa Gratias
Since I found my passion for painting, I feel safer. It is something that fulfils me and depends only on me. It is so nice to think about the things I will learn step by step in the years to come, until I die, to see the evolution of my artistic style. Art makes me feel like champagne is running through my veins instead of blood.
Elisa Gratias
Painting helped me a lot to overcome excessive thinking – at least for the time I paint and concentrate only on the process.
Elisa Gratias
I often feel too fragile for this world, that seems to be like a desert of emotionlessness. I wonder if many people feel like that but don’t talk about it.
Elisa Gratias
Thankfulness is my religion.
Elisa Gratias quoting her friend Benazir Bazan.
Photos by Sasha Ilushina. More photos and an Interview of photographer Sasha Ilushina with Elisa Gratias: ilushinaphoto.com.