Ellen Brook

Artwork and clothing designs that are steeped in a love of color, a search for sanctuary, an optimistic approach and in doing so, affirms that beauty and originality matter. Silk once served as a currency in the East and a gateway to the West. My paintings and clothing continue that exchange by referencing Eastern ideas while extending the legacy of the ancient discipline of painting on silk into our contemporary experience. My current work explores the search for a meditative rather than a demanding energy to navigate our Western urban lives. According to many ancient spiritual teachings as well as modern science, colors are essentially frequencies that can impact emotion and states of being. In the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, asymmetry and “imperfection” are viewed as beauty. My creative approach draws on these world views, allowing colors, organic shapes and lines to emerge naturally, mapping the movement between our inner and outer landscapes. Through the cross fertilization of media and form, my art work evokes - and helps create - the inner sanctuary where individuals can retreat against the opposing energy of today’s urban environments. Art as clothing allows women to connect with the joys of being enveloped in the unique colors and designs that radiate their best selves.