Collection: Ellie Ali

I am a self-taught artist. Sometimes described as an outsider artist / art brut.

My paintings are almost exclusively on paper. I use acrylics, Chinese ink, oil crayons, and wax. I am always exploring new materials.

But for certain, paper is my “co-conspirator”.

I only paint people. They speak, I listen.

I search for the finest museum quality papers from all over the world. Hand dyed papers from Rajasthan, India. Handmade papers from Mexico and Thailand. Rice papers from Japan and China. Archival papers from the best European artisans.

Born in 1947 in New York City, my work has been strongly influenced by the fearless writers, musicians and painters of the 1950's and 1960's who courageously paved the way for mine and future generations.

James Baldwin, John Coltrane, Henry Miller, Eric Dolphy, Joan Miro, Henry Moore, Miles Davis, Frenz Klein, Lenny Bruce, Jean Dubuffet, Antoni Tàpies. (The art of ancient cave painters stirs in my DNA.)

My work is collected internationally.

I currently live in Lisbon, Portugal.