Queen of Hearts

Elyse is a Moreton Bay-based printmaking artist who works primarily in linocut, etching, and engraving. With 15 years of practice, she values the medium’s flexibility and versatility, which allow her to create images with distinctive qualities.

Mental health has been a central struggle throughout much of her teen and adult life, shaping the themes she explores in her work. Initially, her practice examined anxiety as a natural and genetic response to trauma; more recently, it has turned toward the complex, almost formulaic dynamics of narcissistic family systems. Her experiences with anxiety, depression, and a recent complex PTSD diagnosis continue to inform and influence her art - and will remain a focus moving forward.

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‘Queen of Hearts’ is the first in a series of prints looking into narcissistic family system dynamics. The work loosely references the Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland', but the playing cards themselves refer to the games which the head of a narcissistic family would play. Symbolism within the work depicts aspects of the narcissist's character including roles they prescribe upon others, e.g. her necklace references the scapegoat (broken child), golden child, and invisible child.