Elizabeth has always created and cared a lot.

I am an artist living in NYC, doing my work under the name Birdie, a nickname amongst friends. My body of work marries found objects with original visuals to explore loss and innocence. I’m fascinated by our fateful moments of disillusionment when we question our identity and everything we’ve been taught.

Recurring motifs of toys, pink, mirrors, and religious icons symbolize my girlhood loss of innocence. Making good use of hand-me-down generational trauma and a DIY spirit, I scour curbs and thrift shops to find secondhand materials that resonate with me. 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. For example, my 2023 piece, I Am My Own Baby, contains personal heirlooms and baby memorabilia — disembodied ceramic doll parts made by my Granny mingle with old birthday cards and a Virgin Mary statue on a large canvas I found in the trash — all piled together and wrapped in suffocating pink tulle. My artistic influences currently include the Stettheimer sisters, Natalie Baxter, Bonnie Lucas, Portia Munson, Yvette Mayorga, Tierra Whack, and Pee-wee Herman.

A feeling of loss permeates my work as I ask, “What will I lose if I step outside this bubble and reveal my authentic self?” I align with the Jungian belief that active imagination is necessary for creative inspiration and healing. I find freedom in approaching art from a childlike perspective, putting aside my fears of trying new things or making something ugly. In my practice, I wrestle with perfectionism and find creating art by hand to be a therapeutic process. Rooted in my experience working with kids, I continue to select materials that are non-toxic and widely accessible such as papier mâché, cardboard, and textiles. 

I am in the humbling process of entering the art world as an outsider. At this point in my work, I am eager to find communities that align with my emerging art and purpose. Like one of my other influences, Charlie Chaplin, I’m inventing a playful world of truth and openness and would like to share it with you.