Elianna Mesaikos

Elianna Mesaikos, <i>Burlesque Crown</i>, 2008, ink on paper, 14
Elianna Mesaikos, Burlesque Crown, 2008, ink on paper, 14" x 14"

Elianna Mesaikos, <i>Brine Lurker Crown</i>, 2008, ink on paper, 14
Elianna Mesaikos, Brine Lurker Crown, 2008, ink on paper, 14" x 14"

Featured in Stratum May 2009

Artist Statement


“You don't know whether chimps are going to kill you or kiss you. They're very open on some levels and much more evil in a certain way.”
Tim Burton

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”
Roald Dahl



A romantic tragedy, with an abstraction of reality. A flirtation between fact and fiction are found dancing within the lines. A collision between the delicate and the fierce is discovered in the menagerie of clamorous chimps, majestic lions, gallant bears, and magnanimous amebas. As they sit valiantly, their uncanny improbability gives them an overwhelming sense of anxiety and obscurity. All possessing a fragmented history, they exist as symbols for something that once existed.

The intrepid impala sleeps while the gusty and heroic lion tenderly caresses its flesh. This is the maudlin tale of passionate wild life.

-Elianna Mesaikos 2009

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