Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elisa Zebian. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Elisa , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from my parents and grandmother. They are all incredibly inspiring individuals that I’ve had the privilege of being raised and loved by. My art has a bit of all of them whenever I paint.
My mother is a force to be reckoned with. She is always so strong, even when clouded by doubts or fears of the obstacles we have faced together as a family. Amongst the storms and tidal waves, I know I’ll always find her remaining standing tall and proud, secure in her resilience to stay anchored and encourage me to move forward to better things in life. I aspire to become as grounded and confident as she is, and to always make her proud.
My father, who loves with all his heart, and gives everything he can to those that he loves. His constant, endless trust and confidence in me that I sometimes find hard to see, he’s always pushing me and encouraging me to believe in myself. He and I are very alike in so many ways, and that is one of my favorite things about myself. He makes sure that I don’t get lost in my daydreams.
There is so much more I want to say, but I find it hard and emotional to express it in writing. My passions and creative endeavors are always supported and encouraged by them. They are my world, and I always feel like anything is possible with the two of them and my brother by my side.
My Grandmother, my Teta Aida, for showing me that no matter how hard the days can get, and even if your body isn’t cooperating, to make the most out of everyday. To always choose to fill your days with love and laughter. To focus on the strength of your mind, and giving unconditional love. Her love for life, family and friends was so inspiring and beautiful to experience. Due to her perseverance and incredible resilience, I was lucky enough to spend 17 years with her, which I will always be so indescribably thankful for, and forever be in awe of how strong and fierce she was in her battle with 4 different cancers.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I think I always knew I was going to pursue art since I was a little girl. Creating, acting and reading have always been my biggest passions in life. I’m always listening to music, as a lot of my paintings are connected and inspired to songs that I’ve felt a very deep connection and expression of my feelings. A lot of my artwork share the same names of the songs that have inspired them.
My art is inspired by nature, mainly the ocean. Portraits and emotion. Music, as a lot of my paintings are connected and inspired to songs that I’ve felt a very deep attachment to. The themes of my artwork are surreal, fantasy and ethereal elements. Bold, powerful, statement pieces are my speciality. I am very fond of combining and bringing out the beauty and harmony of somewhat more negatively associated aspects of life, elements, and objects, because everything deserves love, and sometimes all you need is a different perspective to see its softer side.
I am Lebanese, born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and raised in Dubai, U.A.E. I had completed my A levels in 2020 and later that year in December, moved to the US to further pursue my creative endeavors at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
I had tabled for the first time at SCAD’s annual Illustration Expo this year in May, and I loved every second of it! Ever since I had attended my first Comic-Con when I was 16, and had become so inspired with the idea of tabling and selling my own art at conventions and art galleries, so getting the opportunity to make that dream a reality was truly incredible and an experience I am very grateful for! I’m currently updating my website, as I intend to open an online store hopefully by the end of this year.
I am delighted to share that I have three of my artworks which will be exhibited on screens in Paris during Art Basel Week, Venice and Berlin this October! All of my announcements and regular updates will be on my instagram, @ph0enixsirenn.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities, skills and areas of expertise that I believe have been the most impactful in my journey have been; patience, knowing when to take a step back and rest, as well as not to pursue what doesn’t serve you.
Stepping back, taking delight in comfort of the small beautiful things in life that we tend to overlook unintentionally. As a society, we are constantly on the move, that we forget to pay attention to our mind’s and body’s needs, which can be extremely harmful. I am determined to find that ideal balance, by being self aware to do things in moderation when I work. I am passionate about keeping a personal, private sketchbook to give myself a moment of respite from other events occurring in my life. To draw and take notes of what inspires me. Creating for yourself to not lose sight of what art means to you. Keep the love for paint alive, and make sure to strike the match again when that flame flickers. It is a very interesting mental test and challenge to see how strong your will and discipline endures taking one step at a time.
Learning when to stop pursuing what doesn’t serve you is vital as it depletes your energy. The beautiful thing that it does, is directs you to a different path or choice filled with an inspiring plethora of possibilities at your fingertips. In addition to that, these delightful new passageways that reveal themselves may be things you’d never have really thought or pictured yourself doing! It’s a wondrously spontaneous adventure for you to embark upon.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I’ve been actively pushing myself out of my comfort zone, to encourage me to find my way and keep channeling new ways of expanding my creativity.
Having hard conversations with myself and acknowledging my insecurities helps me find where they stem from, and create solutions to make my confidence bloom. I am pleased I took the opportunities presented to me, because taking ownership and the initiative is just as important!
The last 12 months were pivotal in my career. I had the pleasure of having my work exhibited during Miami Art Week 2023 at the Spectrum Art Fair, receiving the SCAD Drawing Minor Student 2024 award at the SketchX24 pop-up exhibition, and the SCAD Illustration Expo. That has been incredible! I’ve learned so much from these opportunities, and I am grateful for these experiences.
One of my favorite phrases to say in all aspects of my life is ‘Go big or go home’, as I don’t think anything bores me as much as playing it safe in some instances. I find challenging myself extremely fun, as it gives me the opportunity to experiment with things I do not normally do, like working with a medium or technique that I’ve never tried before to enhance my creative abilities.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ph0enixsirenn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisazebian22
- Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phoenixsiren22
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