In my paintings about the human figure, I explore different ways to represent what I understand as being human and I am interested in concepts and ideas that touch us all; fertility, growth, and puberty.
I do not want to portrait a particular individual or person but the physical notion of being human. The body dispossessed of identity, just as a concept and at the same time I aspire to speak about the fragility and strength of being a human being.
In my Venus paintings, I have deliberately avoided the representation of the head or the arms and legs, and I focus just on the torso because I want the body dispossessed of any identity.  At the same time, I want to express the fragility and strength in the human form. 

Humans

Drawings

The veins within a leaf, the wings of an dragonfly, the crystals in a rock formation, the color palette in the trunks of the trees… Intricate and detailed patterns and textures offer up visual stories and puzzles that are profound.  Much of my inspiration comes from these; the organic shapes, patterns and colors; each revealing relationships and difference; from the microscopic to the cosmic; so simple but yet so complex at the same time. I am drawn to  the patterns, tightly holding forms together while simultaneously pushing them apart. I try to recreate this in my work.

Elsa Santos