Welcome, I’m Elsa.

I bring life, color, and texture to my subjects, imbuing each piece with a profound emotional resonance.

Explore emotion, identity, and transformation

300+
Artworks Sold
Worldwide
20+

Solo and group shows
across South Africa

15+

Countries
Collected In

"Elsa is a testimony to the dream and possibility
of merging one's talents, soul, passion and business.
She is the lightness of the feather in her work."

A powerful, deeply emotional contemporary realism charcoal portrait drawing of a young man with his head tilted upward, highlighting expressive eyes and highly textured, raw charcoal shading by Elsa Cornelissen.

LATEST WORK

A powerful blend of realism and abstraction, my work explores emotion, identity, and transformation through layered textures and evocative imagery.

New Featured Collection

Echoes of the First Memory

There are moments when looking becomes remembering.

Born beneath the vast skies of the Karoo, this collection explores presence, ancestral instinct, and shared connection. Wildlife portraiture emerges from a tapestry of layered marks and petroglyph textures—a visual language suggesting that beneath every culture lies a shared impulse to seek meaning through relationship with the living world.

"What ancient part of yourself does this animal awaken?

Expressive lion portrait painting titled Keeper of Quiet Kingdoms with earth pigments and weathered stone textures by Elsa Cornelissen

Keeper of Quiet Kingdoms

lion

A silent keeper of balance whose authority requires no demonstration. Expressive mane textures suggest ancient earth pigments and weathered stone, radiating emotional stability and complete self-possession.

Geometric zebra painting titled The Language of Balance featuring gestural mark-making and organic background washes by Elsa Cornelissen

The Language of Balance

ZEBRA

An emblem of unity within diversity. The zebra’s stripes become visual metaphors for duality and coexistence, proving that harmony is achieved by allowing opposites to exist together.

Reclining leopard fine art painting titled The Place Between Shadows featuring cool blue and warm ochre tones by Elsa Cornelissen

The Place Between Shadows

RECLINING LEOPARD

Resting in a world it completely trusts, the leopard reminds us that true belonging is often invisible and that profound dignity exists without needing to be seen.

Memory of the Earth

CAPE BUFFALO

A living monument to endurance, carrying the weight of antiquity. Richly textured layers echo weathered rock surfaces, balancing cool turquoise against warm ochres and crimson earth.

Whispers Before the Wind

CHEETAH PROFILE

Poised between stillness and movement, the cheetah embodies heightened awareness and intuition—the quiet knowing that speaks before reason. Transparent glazes and energetic mark-making balance warm ochres against deep violets and blues.

4 of 5 pieces in this original series have been acquired for private collections.

Past Work

My past collections reveal my emotional range and artistic versatility—from the raw intimacy to the layered symbolism and the soulful realism.

Inside the Studio: My Artist Blog

This blog is my journal, my sketchbook, and my open studio door.

Whether you're an artist yourself, or simply someone who feels deeply and loves beauty in all its forms, I hope this space feels like a soft landing.

Let's Stay In Touch​

Whether you’re drawn to a specific piece, interested in a commission,
or simply moved by the work, I would love to hear from you!