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Shaun Ellison
Hocker, Ingebrigsten, Cole and Nuguse In a Landscape, 2024
9 x 12 inches
Original Painting
Acrylic on paper
$2,200
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Hocker, Ingebrigsten, Cole and Nuguse In a Landscape depicts the namesake figures competing in the 1500 meter race. The gray, asphalt track is partially framed by a verdant patch of grass, which becomes the foreground to the three runners at the front of the athletic procession. In the artist’s own words, “Everyone, including the runners, was focused on the rivalry between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr, but Cole Hocker surprised us all by winning the gold medal. It epitomized the idea that anything is possible, and we need not count ourselves out because we perceive that we may not be good enough. Hocker’s win inspires us to know that we are more than what we or others perceive of us. If we set our mind to something, we can be victorious.”
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Shaun Ellison
Ingebrigsten, Kerr, Nuguse and Hocker Battle for Gold, 2024
9 x 12 inches
Original Painting
Acrylic on paper
$2,200
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In Ingebrigsten, Kerr, Nuguse and Hocker Battle for Gold, the namesake athletes are depicted sprinting alongside one another before an abstracted, charcoal background. In the artist’s own words, “I relate to the runner. You are out there on your own; you have nothing but yourself. It takes a lot of grit and perseverance to keep pushing even as you tire. I think that the painting process is similar to running. You have to know when to kick hard, and to go for it when the opportunity presents itself. Stepping away from fear and into fluency—where you trust your body and hand—will take you where it needs to go.”
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Shaun Ellison
McLaughlin, Cockrell, and Bol battle for Gold, 2024
9 x 12 inches
Original Painting
Acrylic on paper
$2,400
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In McLaughlin, Cockrell, and Bol battle for Gold, the three namesake athletes run and jump above obstacles placed before them. In the artist’s own words, “In the 400 meter women’s hurdle race, the women show their flexibility, strength, and technique. Their physiques are testament to the hours that they spend on their craft. They feel like Greek and Roman sculptures, and I wanted to portray that almost stone-like aspect of their bodies. I also found [these athletes] to be both elegant and strong, which feels like a form of art to me.”
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Shaun Ellison
Men’s 10,000m Paris Olympics Final, 2024
9 x 12 inches
Original Painting
Acrylic on paper
$2,000
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In Men’s 10,000m Paris Olympics Final, a group of athletes are seen running alongside one another on a race track. With facial features blurred by the distanced vantage point, the figures pace towards a finish line that lies beyond the composition’s perimeters. In the artist’s own words, “The 10,000 meter race is truly one of stamina and hardship; it is a real challenge of maintaining a certain speed over a long period of time. As someone who has run short distance marathons, I understand how hard this is, and relate to these athletes. How do we pace ourselves in our own lives? Can we find that steadiness and ease to work throughout our days?”
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Shaun Ellison
The Sun Will Always Shine Another Day, 2024
9 x 12 inches
Original Painting
Acrylic on paper
$2,200
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In The Sun Will Always Shine Another Day, athletes are seen running on a racetrack, donning brightly colored clothing and shoes that distinguish their forms from one another. As they pace leftward in unison, a large, yellow sun holds court in the blue sky above, dotted by clusters of picturesque clouds. In the artist’s own words, “I painted the sun as a way of expressing the brighter side of life. As much as the hardship and challenges of life can take us down at times, there is always sunshine that brings the light.”
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What began as a tool to process South African artist Shaun Ellison’s relationship to the sport of tennis has grown into a vibrant, evocative practice that captures the spontaneity and frailty of groups, success and failure in sport. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the artist brings unity to many of the inherent contradictions of tennis and its history, and uses color, expressive composition, and unexpected figures and motifs to touch on the diversity, rigor and growth of the sport and its cultural legacy. Ellison studied at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, School of Visual Arts and NY Studio School. While at Louisiana Lafayette, the artist played for the school’s Division 1 tennis team before competing professionally on the ATP Tour. Recent exhibitions include Hit & Miss at Taymour Grahne Projects (London, UK).
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