Eliscer Elliott

Jabari "Elicser" Elliott is a visual-artist based in Toronto, Ontario.

Early life and education

While Elliott was born in Montreal, he spent his formative years living in Saint Vincent. Elliott helped his recreate costumes for the local carnival his father was heavily involved in. Upon his family's return to Canada, Elliott was introduced to street art while studying at the Etobicoke School of the Arts. His high school's guidance counsellor directed him to Sheridan College's program in Animation and affirmed for the young artist the possibilities of a career in the arts.

Elliott studied animation at Sheridan College.

Career

Since graduating from Sheridan College's animation program, Elliott has amassed a collection of murals and public artworks that have come to help define Toronto's cityscape. Moving beyond notions of the streets being his only canvas, Elliott has exhibited works at The Art Gallery of Ontario, The Royal Ontario Museum, and LE Gallery. Elliott has also acted as an arts educator working with the Art Gallery of Ontario's Free After Three youth arts program, and the Toronto Jazz Festival, teaching youth aerosol paint techniques.

Elliot's most notable works can be described as a highly improvised collage of soft characters and organic shapes, layered and blended through transparencies. His character work is often mediated by past experiences and relationships while also drawing on the likeness of passers-by to complete his community-based murals. Elliot has also illustrated and produced a small run of books titled "Know Love".

In 2011 Elliot met with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to advocate for the significance and vibrance of graffiti murals as public art. At the time Councillor Cesar Palacio had advocated for more street art as part of combatting blighted urban communities.