Elle Wickens (b. 1994, Australia) explores the imaginary systems and symbolic languages of the body through painting and installation. Rooted in psychoanalysis and philosophy, her practice incorporates considered materials such as suede and latex with themes of incertitude, fantasy, and the imaginary to investigate the complex and often slippery relationships between the sensorial body, identity, and perception. Wickens is interested in how painting can record the elusive material and affective dimensions of bodily subjectivity and symbolic representation.
Wickens holds a Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts from the National Art School. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions and art fairs across Australia, Asia, and Europe, including Art Basel Hong Kong (2025); The Devoted Eye, Ames Yavuz, Sydney (2025); ART021, Shanghai (2024); Dreamscape, Ames Yavuz, Sydney (2024); Dancing With No Music, Ambush Gallery, Sydney (2022); Hatched, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth (2021); and In Good Company, Gaffa Gallery, Sydney (2021). Wickens received the Clitheroe Foundation MFA Scholarship in 2020, the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, and the Shark Island Residency in 2024. Wickens’ work is held in the collection of Western Sydney University and in private collections across Australia, Asia, and Europe.