Beneath The Surface by Elly Rouxelle

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ARTIST NOTES: Beneath the surface
Acrylic on canvas

This self-portrait speaks to a life suffocating beneath its own weight. The figure is engulfed not only by water, but by the density of emotion—grief, fear, memory—closing in without release. Breath becomes impossible, not from lack of air, but from the heaviness of being present.

The surrounding darkness presses inward, a living force that mirrors the mind when it turns against itself. The yellow halo no longer offers clarity, but flickers like a failing signal—consciousness strained under emotional collapse.

This work captures the moment when survival feels uncertain, not because of death, but because continuing to exist requires more breath than the body can hold.

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Artist: Elly Rouxelle

ARTIST BIO  I am a 33-year-old Australian artist working in portraiture and expressionism, drawn to gothic aesthetics and emotional intensity. I am neurodivergent and chronically ill, and my practice is shaped by trauma, addiction, and survival. My work focuses on psychological truth rather than beauty. Through expressive mark-making, muted palettes, and distorted forms, I explore pain, dissociation, and resilience. Alongside portraiture, I pin butterflies and paint insects—symbols of fragility, transformation, and mortality—using them as quiet counterpoints to the human figure. Painting is both necessity and release. I use my pain as material, transforming it into work that speaks to darkness, endurance, and connection. Artist Name: Elly Rage View works by Elly Rouxelle in Bendigo Art Show