ABOUT ME!

My name is Elise Estrada (she/her) and I am an artist from Los Angeles, California. I just graduated from UC San Diego, Cum Laude this June. My program is the Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts Major (ICAM) which integrated computer science and technology into my art practice. I have created sculptures and interactive installations and my area of interest is representing humanity through technology.

For my ICAM Senior Project titled The Human Fighter, I built a two-foot tall animatronic with Arduino that does Filipino Martial Arts Moves. I put on performances where I taught and fought my robot. The work I largely create in my spare time, however, is digital illustration depicting intimacy between others and the expression of emotion through portraiture.

My latest position as the Public Art Intern at Little Tokyo Service Center (a social services and community development organization based in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles) has made me interested in the intersection of Art and Ethnic Studies and its place in community building. In addition, I served as the President and Publicity Chair of Asians & Pacific Islanders for the Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego.

My passion for art and storytelling stems from my love for animated film and television and it has been a dream of mine to work in the entertainment industry some day. I am also strongly passionate about Asian-American history, media, and advocacy and I'm influenced by this passion in my multi-disciplinary work and art practice. I am interested in continuing my education in the Visual Arts as well as Ethnic Studies and Art History.