“Art is to console those who are broken by life.”

Vincent van Gogh

From a young age, Ellie Yates has been interested in creating art, from drawing at grandparents table to now working as a Fine Artist. Yates has used art as a way to cope with many issues in her life, either to help process or to distract, through doing this she has been able to use her issues as the subject of her work. Growing up Yates was overweight and due to this, was bullied at school and at home, unfortunately this led to her having body issues.

Within Yates’ practice, she uses the mediums of photography to reflect issues surrounding the body and gender equality. As she grew up being overweight, she did not see many women in the media who were similar to her, instead she saw what the media thinks women should look like and she did not fit the criteria. As the majority of her issues with the body focused on the whole figure, she decided that she would focus on sections of the body and find their beauty. During this process, she examines areas that are typically deemed ugly or grotesque and instead she highlights their beauty. Yates’ aim is to show other people who are may be going through similar issues that they are not alone and should find beauty in everything around them.