Elli Ansari is a painter, art educator, and visual artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Holding a Master’s degree in Fine Arts, she has dedicated more than two decades to painting, arts education, and community engagement.
Her passion for art began in childhood. Family and friends often remarked that all she needed was a pencil and a piece of paper—even a paper napkin—to create something meaningful. Throughout her school years, she consistently received first-place awards in poster design and school publication competitions, developing a strong foundation in drawing and visual storytelling from an early age.
In 2000, Elli participated in her first group exhibition in Iran. One of her charcoal drawings, inspired by the Venus sculpture, was sold during the exhibition. Shortly afterwards, she was invited by the local Health Department to teach drawing classes for employees’ children, beginning her first professional teaching experience.
Alongside teaching, she accepted numerous portrait commissions, which led her to discover a deep interest in figurative art, portraiture, and the representation of human life through realism. Encouraged and supported by her family throughout her artistic journey, she continued to develop her skills and professional practice.
Elli later undertook formal training in Isfahan under the guidance of Master Boroujeni. Although encouraged by her family to pursue studies in the health sciences, she simultaneously sat entrance examinations for both Health Sciences and Fine Arts, achieving outstanding results in both fields. Ultimately, she chose to pursue her lifelong passion for art and completed a Master’s degree in Painting.
Seeking further professional development, Elli continued her studies with Master Iman Ghasemian, one of the artists associated with the artistic lineage of the renowned Iranian painter Abbas Katouzian. During this period, she undertook advanced training in portraiture and figurative painting, refining the realist style that continues to influence her work today.
After migrating to Australia, Elli became actively involved in arts education within the Iranian-Australian community. Between 2004 and 2011, she taught painting at Ziba Art Studio in Sydney while also conducting classes at the academy art centre in Mosman, Iranian Library in Hornsby and the Iranian Community Organisation in Parramatta. She also taught at Green Educational Centre in Chatswood.
In 2010, she established her own private art school in Top Ryde, Sydney, which she successfully operated until 2017. Following her marriage and relocation to Melbourne, she continued teaching through her own studio from 2018 to 2021.
Elli has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout her career. Her first group exhibition was held in 2000, and in 2006 her artwork Dance in Persepolis’s received first place at the Art Exhibition. In 2009, her painting Thirsty Child had attracted significant public interest at the Crows Nest Community Centre Exhibition and was featured in an interview with Radio Australia. She later held solo exhibitions in Frenchs Forest (2011) and Hornsby Shire Council (2015).
More recently, Elli has exhibited with the City of Whittlesea, including the group exhibitions Earth (2019) and Belong (2026), where her artwork Belong in His Presence had attracted considerable public.
Working primarily in portraiture and figurative realism, Elli is particularly drawn to themes of femininity, identity, and human emotion. Women are at the heart of much of her artistic practice, serving as powerful symbols of strength, vulnerability, resilience, and self-discovery.
Deep green has become a recurring colour throughout her work. Beyond her personal admiration for emerald tones, she is drawn to green for its symbolism of growth, renewal, hope, and resilience. When combined with dark palettes and dramatic shadows, it creates a visual language that balances strength with vulnerability, light with darkness, and reality with emotion.
Alongside her teaching career, Elli has maintained an active professional art practice. Over the years, a number of her artworks have been acquired by private collectors through exhibitions in Australia, and she has completed numerous commissioned portraits. Her realist approach and ability to capture both the individuality and emotional presence of her subjects have become defining characteristics of her work.