Elliott Spriggs is an illustrator and animator working with textiles, printmaking, drawing and digital media. Their work considers themes including identity, belonging and inspiration, explored through the careful use of storytelling. Previously working mainly in illustration, this year Elliott has incorporated animation into their practice, through graphic gifs on the topics of climate change and sociocultural spaces as well as their final animation, The Hybrid Muse. This short film is narrated and based on a poem by Bal, and touches on the nature of belonging and the hybridity of identity, using transformation and morphing to draw together disparate images. Elliott also works with textiles, as shown in their project A place to be your true self, which illustrates the role of chosen family in the LGBTQ+ community through contemporary family portraits. The use of textile and embroidery is informed by the association of family with comfort and home, as well as a desire to create tangible cultural heritage. A focus on portraiture and observational drawing runs through Elliott’s work, as can be seen in the keen political, social and cultural reflections present in their work. Their practice uses materiality, study and storytelling to explore the role illustration and animation have to play in modern communication, especially around important issues like climate change, minority rights and political change. They are based in London.
My practice spans both illustration and animation, using narrative throughout to communicate important topics. Creating work based on poetry, observation and political research, I aim to use illustration and animation as a tool for contemporary communication and reflection.