Works By Eloise Saunders

Subsequently Saunders spent her recuperation period revisiting her Japanese odyssey and wandering if they endured the same difficulties I did whilst indulging in their sight seeing travels before metamorphosing into the snap happy tourists we know and love? Having transient thoughts about when in Rome, would the Japanese encounter difficulties ordering pizza, and entertaining similar, fleeting notions.

Hence Saunders’ work being this exploration of what results when cultures collide; old says hello and strikes up a visual conversation with the new. There’s even a comedy element, when as Saunders puts it; “Some tragic romance thrown in…Geisha’s could only be seen with a certain level of society, and some of my male characters just don’t hit the mark!” Above and beyond all this, it’s vivacious, vibrantly coloured fun. As art should be.

That’s right. Geisha girls/dolls and various other traditional Japanese paraphernalia is celebrated contemporary fine artist, Eloisa Saunders’ creative bag; and not to put too finer point on it, the highly illustrative canvas approximation of said resolutely oriental, culturally significant ornamentation. Away from the larger than life Geisha dolls, fish are also well represented, from a visual perspective by Saunders, whilst the Great Wall of China has also put in the odd appearance looking back through the very talented artist’s back catalogue. And in addition to her conventional two-dimensional work, Saunders has more recently evolved her art to cover the more 3D aspect too, embarking on a sculpture journey of self-expression to compliment the other.

Having attended the King Edward school in Handsworth, Birmingham between 1988 – 1996, Saunders progressed to study for her Degree at the University of Wales in Cardiff, South Wales from 1996 - 1999. Consequently, and with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Fine Art to her name, Saunders set off to make a career as a professional fine artist some two decades ago now, and has never once cast a glance over her shoulder. Saunders doesn’t have a favourite material in which to work, but if she did it would be oils. And acrylics. And mixed media, including spray paint, executed to devastating effect when called upon. All of which she’s dabbled in to varying (and hugely successful) degrees to, since turning pro so to speak. When not painting exquisite Geisha girls/dolls and such like over the past 20 years, Saunders could have been found offering her creative skills and industry-honed knowledge to the next generation of artists, as she’s combined professional art creation with stints tutoring.

Employed by The Centre for Visual Arts in Cardiff in South Wales, as well as Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery, Saunders has lectured school kids, under graduates and masters students to date, whilst also having toured providing public lectures on various subject matters close to her artistic heart; one such hot topic being Japanese Photography, which she admits to finding fascinating, as Saunders does the Japanese culture as a whole.

Saunders has also had a few notable brushes with TV too it would appear. Firstly she was part of the ‘Future Worlds’ series screened by the BBC, which examined how new broadcast technologies was shaping and governing the fashion in which art is originated and produced, and eventually consumed by the public at large. Such modern media platforms and gateways as the Internet and mobile and digital television. And secondly in relation to Saunders having collaborated with her colleague, the talented director, Mark Walker on his BAFTA-nominated short films, entitled, ‘Floating’ and ‘Sea Monsters’.

And then there’s the Turner Prize short-listed and winning creatives that she’s had the pleasure of working alongside at various points in her career hitherto; chiefly fellow West Midlands residents and creative practitioners; British photographer, Richard Billingham and Gillian Wearing respectively. The former having credited Saunders in his most famous book, ‘Ray’s a Laugh’, while with regards to the latter, Saunders contributed to Wearing’s video installations.