Rainbow Contradiction

“Imagine looking up at the clouds and seeing a shape come to life before your eyes - a convincing illusion you know isn’t real. This is my normal.”

Elyse is a Neurodivergent (AuDHD), Queer, Disabled artist with lived experience of trauma. In 2023, while studying Psychology Honours, Elyse underwent what was meant to be a low-risk medical treatment. Since then, they have experienced hallucinations and visual disturbances layered over their AuDHD perception. Elyse began creating visual art as a way to challenge medical gaslighting and to communicate these differences to their healthcare team.

Elyse’s work explores disability, LGBTQIA+ identity, liminal spaces, fractal and symbolic patterns, pop culture, and internal script references - along with the occasional monster hiding in the shadows.

Follow Elyse on Instagram and check out her website.

I created this painting after seeing the Treasury Building in Meanjin, during a time when I was experiencing housing insecurity as a Queer, Disabled person. It reflects the way my visual perception differs from others’, especially as hallucinations tend to worsen at night.
Can you see the monster hiding in the shadows?