Biography

Elisa Markes-Young was born on New Year's Eve 1964 in Gorlice, Poland. In 1981 she moved to Germany with her family. She then moved to Perth with her photographer husband in early 2002 where they have exhibited on a regular basis.

With her cross-cultural biography, Elisa's identity is punctuated by the question of how Polish or German she really is. It is also very much defined by the feeling of being caught between two worlds. The excitement of living in a foreign country is accompanied by an intense feeling of displacement. Being a stranger and 'different', having to master another language and the mentality of a new place creates a feeling of insignificance and inadequacy. Trying to navigate between the Polish origins, German influences and Australian surroundings, Elisa recognizes that self-reflection is crucial to her identity: It is a reflection on the variations of her 'handed-down' identity.

Elisa dealt with these issues in What I Am (2006) and she feels that her work is being increasingly inspired by her memories of Poland, it's landscapes and colours and pictures she associates with it.

In her work Elisa uses mostly natural fibres, textiles, techniques and skills that are - at least in cultures of European origin - traditionally attributed to the female field of experience. The aim is to recreate not so much figurative works but rather the mood.