Biography
Elizabeth Gordon Stilwell is a self-taught interdisciplinary artist based in New York City. Born between the beach and Disney in Central Florida, Elizabeth has lived in Arkansas, Louisiana, and several cities in China on her way to NYC. After working in education and design, she turned to creating art as a way to work through the death of her only sibling in 2020. Working out of her home studio, Elizabeth explores themes of family, gender, religion, and American culture through the marriage of personal memorabilia and found materials. Her first show was in 2024 at The Pack Studio, NY, NY.
Artist Statement
My work draws on my childhood in an evangelical church and how those values entangle with classic notions of American culture, beauty, sex, gender, and home.
In the spirit of thrift and sustainability, I scour New York City’s curbs in search of orphaned items — a child’s tutu, caution tape, a wooden baby gate — trusting the materials I find to begin the process. What I don’t find, I create out of widely-accessible media such as newspaper, cardboard, and textiles. As I glue, paint, weave, and cut with both hands, young-perfectionist me finds ease and present-day me finds flow. The materials and I are both transformed into something new. It’s only later in the process that I figure out how all the scraps I’ve collected fit together, leading my pieces to be serendipitous, resourceful, low impact, and imperfect.
I am fascinated by the fateful moment of disillusionment when we question our identity and everything we’ve been taught. My current work leers at the adorable horror of being a girl and turns the world’s uninvited gaze back on itself. Multilayered pieces ranging from sculptures to collages combine personal memorabilia and found materials while recurring ribbons, pink, mirrors, and religious icons knit the whole series together.
Exhibitions and commissions:
2025, O.S.D. — New York, NY [upcoming]
2024, Frustrating the Barrier — The Pack Studio, New York, NY
2023, Mural — Private home, Barnegat, NJ
Relevant Professional Experience:
2018-2023, Digital Illustrator, New York, NY
2021 - Present, Volunteer Art Teacher, New York, NY