Esther Elia

Education:

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM — MFA in Painting & Drawing, 2023

California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA — BFA in Illustration, 2019 *graduated with honors

Professional Experience:

University of New Mexico, ALBUQUERQUE, NM — 2022 Instructor of Record, Drawing 3

University of New Mexico, ALBUQUERQUE, NM — 2020-2022 Instructor of Record, Drawing 1

Illustration & Graphic Design at UCEazy, Remote — 2020-current I create client-facing materials for sales and webinars conducted by UCEazy. This includes informational flyers, slide-decks, merchandise, social media content, and illustrations.

StoryCenter, Berkeley CA — 2018-current Freelance illustration, animation, and video editing services for community storytelling projects such as: “Stories of Home: Immigrants and Refugees,” “Stories from Algeria,” “Voices to End FGM/C.”

Park Life Gallery, SF CA — 2018-2020 Support with gallery openings, retail, graphic design and creation of social media promotional materials.

Relevant Skills

  • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, InDesign)

  • Ceramics, Weaving, Painting, Woodworking

  • Digital Illustration + small Animation

Artist CV/Exhibitions

2024

Among Monsters

Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico. September 13 - November 30.

Khosh min Lakha

The Roswell Museum, Roswell, New Mexico. August 31 - November 17.

Camouflage

Lapis Room, Albuquerque, NM. March 21 - May 5.

Meet Me at the Intersection

Art Works Gallery, Richmond VA. March 19 - April 23. Selected to show for NCECA.

The Collecting Eye of Ray Graham

Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo, TX. February 23 - March 24.

2023

Modern Women

Featuring Esther Elia & Alyssa Eble. Runnels Gallery, Portales, New Mexico. August 7 - September 15.

Bodybuilders in the Bosque Mural

Centennial Science and Engineering Library, University of New Mexico Campus. Finished July 2023.

Shraya d’Ashureta (Solo Show)

Park Life Gallery, San Francisco, CA. May 19 - June 25.

Akitu: The Oldest Party in the World

Art Ark Gallery, San Jose, CA. March 18 - April 8. Curated by Nardin Sarkis and Akadina Yedagar.

Future Tense 2023 (Surface Design Association)

The Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska. February 23-April 23. *First place winner by Juror Natalie Baxter.

Diasporic Deities (Solo Show)

Sanitary Tortilla Factory, 401 2nd Street SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico. February 3-24.

2022

Guggenheim Summer College Workshop E-Book

https://readymag.com/u1881633060/3935804/

The Assyrian Legacy: Past, Present, and Future through Art and Prayer

89th Assyrian American National Convention, Scottsdale, Arizona. 7200 North Scottsdale Rd, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253. September 1-5.

Assyria 3.0 (Solo Show)

Sonoma Academy Art Gallery, 2500 Famers Lane, Santa Rosa, CA. May 20-July 30.

Gishru Mural

Commissioned by Gishru and Mata d’Awa’ha’tha, Nahla, Iraq. Designed and instructed a group painting a mural at the village gates.

SITE Scholars Exhibition

SITE Santa Fe, 1606 Paseo de Peralta, Santa FE, NM. February 28-March 20.

2021

Ancestors Mural

Meta Open Arts Recipient, Sunnyvale, California. Designed and installed a mural.

Without a Kiss

88th Assyrian American National Convention, Tuscon, Arizona. 10000 North Oracle Road, Tuscon, AZ 85704. September 2-6.

Not Knowing, Cheers to Knowing

South Broadway Community Center, 1025 Broadway Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM. March 4 - April 8. Juried by Anjali Gupta.

Across Borders

Sechrest Gallery of Art, High Point University, High Point, NC. January 25-February 19, 2021. (Awarded 1st Prize Special Commendation from juror Gui Portel)

2020

Khulta d’Beta (Solo Show)

Park Life Gallery.  San Francisco, CA. June 26-August 2, 2020.

Debut

(FIC) Warehouse, 527 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA. November 20-21.

At First Sight 2020

John Sommers Gallery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. August 29 - September 16.

between us, about them

CCA PLAySPACE Gallery, Online Exhibition. October 9 - November 30, 2020. https://between-us-about-them.cca.edu 

The de Young Open Exhibition

deYoung Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, San Francisco, CA 94118. October 10 - January 3, 2021.

Diaspora in Bloom 2.0

Online Exhibition. August 15-20. Curated by Nardin Sarkis and Akadina Yadegar.

2019

Assyrian Artist Showcase

86th Annual National Assyrian Convention Gallery, Assyrian Arts Institute. Mission Westin Hills, Palm Springs, CA. August 30-September 2.

Handed Down

Institute of Advanced Uncertainty + Minnesota Street Project. 1275 Minnesota Street Gallery 211, San Francisco, CA. July 27-August 17. Organized by Kathy Zarur.

“side by side, in the world”

San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries. 401 Van Ness Ave #325, SF. July 12-September 14. Curated by Kathy Zarur and Jacqueline Francis.

Diaspora in Bloom

Art Ark Gallery, 1035 S Sixth St, San Jose, CA. June 1-15. Curated by Nardin Sarkis and Akadina Yedagar.

Stories of Home: Building Solidarity Among Women Immigrants, Refugees, and Artists. 

Oakstop Gallery, Oakland CA. Screening September 27, 2019.

Publications

  • 2023 IMMA: 100 Years of Self-Determination

  • 2023 The Other Almanac

  • 2023 Bat City Review

  • 2021 Reconstructed Magazine, Volume 2 Bodies

  • 2021 The Racket Journal, Issue 37

Awards and Honors

  • 2023 CAC Individual Artist Fellowship Award for Central California

  • 2023 Centennial Science and Engineering Library Mural Award

  • 2023 UNM Globally Engaged Research Award, Awarded for “Native Soil” project

  • 2022 Assyrian Academic Research Grant Recipient. Awarded by the Assyrian Studies Association. Presented research at Stanford University, August 2023.

  • 2022 Guggenheim Summer College Workshop, June 6 - August 12. Culminated in an online e-book of the projects created: https://readymag.com/u1881633060/3935804/

  • 2022 UNM Summer Dissertation Award. Awarded for the “Assyrian Prayer Bowl Archive” project.

  • 2021 SITE Santa Fe Scholar.

  • 2021 Facebook Artist in Residence recipient. Designed and installed a mural at the Facebook Offices.

  • 2020 Heroes SFAC Posters by Bay Area artists in celebration of Bay Area healthcare workers. Installed in kiosks in downtown San Francisco, CA. August-December.

  • 2020 Svane Family Foundation Ark commission award. San Francisco, CA. (Svane Art Auction at SFAI Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA. September 16 - September 30, 2021.)

  • 2020 Institute of Advanced Uncertainty + Minnesota Street Project Residency “Handed Down.” San Francisco, California. July 27-August 17, 2019. Organized by Kathy Zarur.

  • 2019 Wornick Furniture Award Exhibition, California College of the Arts, San Francisco. September 30-October 4.

  • 2019 Iranian Diaspora Prize: Creative Essay Award. San Francisco State Iranian Diaspora Studies Program. San Francisco, CA.

Press