Laura El
Heartwarming illustrations with a noir fairytale edge
"Art is the magical thread that weaves stories into every corner of our world, inviting us to rediscover the enchantment hidden in our daily existence."
Laura El's digital illustrations tread the line between eerie and quaint. Her detailed and perfectly composed pictures are little windows into another life. Tall, thin houses look warm and standoff-ish at the same time. They have a charm that makes you feel like a kid at the funfair – everything is exciting and bright. As well as telling stories through her artworks, El writes them too. Her debut book, The Lurkers, is a rhyming short story about evil spirits and the blurred line between good and evil. Her work has been sold at auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's, and exhibited around...
Laura El's digital illustrations tread the line between eerie and quaint. Her detailed and perfectly composed pictures are little windows into another life. Tall, thin houses look warm and standoff-ish at the same time. They have a charm that makes you feel like a kid at the funfair – everything is exciting and bright. As well as telling stories through her artworks, El writes them too. Her debut book, The Lurkers, is a rhyming short story about evil spirits and the blurred line between good and evil. Her work has been sold at auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's, and exhibited around the world from Hong Kong to Times Square in New York.
Even though El is now in high demand, it was a leap of faith when she became a full-time artist. As a kid, she had always dreamt of it. But people around her told her it wasn't a 'real job' and that she wouldn't be able to support herself financially. Eventually, in 2019, she decided she had to follow her heart. "I quit my waitressing job and went all in, devoting every minute of my time to my artwork." Then, when the pandemic hit, El decided she would help raise funds for a local animal shelter in Brooklyn by painting pet portraits. The project went viral. Within three weeks she created over 1,200 illustrations, raising $12,000 for the shelter. Since then, her career has taken off, and she focuses on enjoying her work and developing her practice further. In her own words, "success to me is simply finding true happiness in life."
Laura El (she/her) was born in Vilnius, Lithuania and lived in Ireland through early adulthood. Now, she lives and works in New York City.
Laura draws constant inspiration from New York City. She loves the charming old buildings and the diverse mix of people – each with their own unique stories, waiting to be told.
Laura’s style has evolved over time. Her earliest drawings were created with a single, continuous line. While her recent works are layered, shaded and rendered in full colour, look closely and you can still see her signature, free-flowing linework.
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