Elizabeth Colomba

Photo Courtesy Of Elizabeth Colomba 

WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIVED THERE?
For as long as I have lived in New York City, I have lived in the same neighborhood, Harlem.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED?
My parents are from Martinique. I was born in Paris, France.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CITY OR HOMETOWN?
Paris is rich in its architecture, its food, its museums. The Louvre alone is certainly one of my top of five. However, one of the best things is being able to sit at a random bistro, meeting friends, have a cup, a bite, catch up and people watch.

WHAT WERE YOUR ASPIRATIONS GROWING UP?
At a very early age, probably around six, I wanted to be a painter…I think after I saw works from Picasso in the newspaper…

WHY ARTIST?
According to Michael Apted and his extraordinary documentary, "7 Up!", a child knows what it aspires to be early on, only sometimes life works differently. I followed the voice of my inner child.

WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR TRAINING?
I did my artistic training in Paris.

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MEDIUM TO WORK WITH?
I'm a painter who favors oil, however, I recently experimented with film as I just completed my first short for the Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD series.

WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION?
I consider myself a storyteller, and all good stories start with an idea, a subject matter which sparks my interest: historical, allegorical, sacred. I will do a quick thumbnail on what I envision then research, accumulate as much information as I can on furniture, fashion, pattern, objects, interiors, food, accessories. With everything I assembled, I’m able to start the drawing which will then be the blueprint for the final work.

WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION?
I’m influenced by classical painting and the idea of inclusion. As a part of my practice, I allow my setting and characters to become a political space. I use beauty as a vessel to raise questions about class, AND race as defining aspects in a society where Black people are to be included in the abstract ideals of freedom and equality.

WHO OR WHAT HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOU?
Probably my mother. I inherited an endless curiosity for everything and a love of reading.

HOW DOES YOUR AESTHETIC MANIFEST IN OTHER AREAS IN YOUR LIFE? 
Living in Harlem, originally named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands, is certainly a notable turn of events as I am a tremendous enthusiast of the Golden Age and a devotee of Dutch mastery. Moreover, being where the advent of African American intellectual and cultural life took place, the Harlem Renaissance, it is a perfect circumstance as I frequently explore these two subjects in my work.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE NOT WORKING?
I enjoy reading, catching up with friends and family living abroad, binging on British TV shows and trying new recipes.

HOW DO YOU STAY MINDFUL?
I practice yoga, meditation and have taken on Kung Fu for a few years now. I’ll say cooking for pleasure. It gives you a meditation space similar to painting. My parents owned a restaurant for three decades, so it’s also a way for me to reconnect with that childhood part of myself.