Elise Blakely
Illustration BA Hons
Camberwell College of Arts UAL
Specialisms: Illustration / Animation / Cartoon & Comic Art
Location: London, United Kingdom
Elise Blakely
First Name: Elise
Last Name: Blakely
Specialisms: Illustration / Animation / Cartoon & Comic Art
Sectors:
My Location: London, United Kingdom
University / College: Camberwell College of Arts UAL
Course / Program Title: Illustration BA Hons
About
While I have an extensive background in illustration, I have since moved onto exploring moving image primarily through animation.
My inspiration is rooted in intersectionality, exploring identity and place through narratives that intend to highlight forgotten areas of the past, and close future. As I have grown as an animator I’ve tackled subjects like nuclear radiation, natural disasters, social justice and the housing crisis- to name a few- through both literal portrayal and more metaphorical means.
Visually, my artistry stems from a lot of media I consumed in my formative years- innovative games like SSX Tricky, UPA style cartoons, and practitioners and teams such as Katsuhiro Otomo, Peter Chung, PlayDead and Media Molecule. I've taken little chunks of every piece of media that resonates with me to mould a festering amalgamation that has fed my visual language.
Following a criticality incident involving a stolen piece of Uranium and a local Mercury City laundromat, the genetic make up of everyone within a 5 mile radius is reworked. This project aims to explore the relationship between the government and the working class in light of a nuclear incident, taking inspiration from real case studies and speculative biology to craft an absurdist, character focused narrative. A mock-up pilot episode has been created setting the scene, with intention for further exploration. I want to better educate current generations on the power of community in light of oppressive government control. Animated in Toon Boom Harmony. Pilot Episode available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VfgaWrJ93U
Competitions
Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2025
An exploration of a hostile living environment, a response to a first-hand experience and brought into the fantastical, presented like a point and click flash game. All the imagery was captured in an old flat I was living in. Made utilising a mixed media approach of photography, stop-motion, 3D graphics and frame-by-frame animation. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkgbmGjukSw
Mixed media animated short utilising frame-by-frame animation, stop motion and photography. The story and meaning of this short is completely up to viewer interpretation, how someone perceives the work is the real outcome. Music by Bramble Hedge / Ghost Pine Creek