Elzette Bester

Vibrant, Bold and Colourful

My story…so far

I am a Visual Artist that has worked in the creative industries of Graphic Design, Advertising, and Illustration for over 25 years. Born and raised in South Africa I completed a Bachelor of Information Design and Honours in Visual Communication at the University of Pretoria. I worked in Johannesburg and Cape Town for a few years before migrating to Australia in 2002.

I established myself as a Freelance Artist in Melbourne working on a diverse range of projects from Corporate Branding and Publishing, to Community Incentives and Art Commissions. After becoming a Mum in 2009, I have focussed mainly on Freelance Art Projects, not only for an income, but also to continue growing my illustration portfolio that can be applied to prints and products.

I am also an Art Tutor for Primary and Secondary Students and was Artist in Residence for 6 months at Ardeer Primary School in 2021 for the ‘Creative Workers in Schools Initiative’ through Regional Arts Victoria.

I live in Ardeer with my husband and two children, plus my dog Buddy and cat Kietsie who sometimes makes a star appearance in my work.

I have an Art Studio in Sunshine.

My art tells a story

My artwork is vibrant, bold and colourful with high attention to detail. Whether working with watercolour, gouache, pencil, or pen and ink, I love to create depth by using techniques that draw the viewer in to pause and pay attention. I love telling a story, and my favourite way is through the visual exploration of my topic and concept whilst thinking of how the viewer will interpret the meaning.

I believe that visual communication is a type of language in itself that can cross many boundaries of cultural and social differences. My love of bold colour and pattern is strongly influenced by my unique South African heritage, which includes my native Afrikaans culture, and is complimented by the rich multicultural community of makers and artists here in Australia.

As a migrant, I have found that my artwork has helped me to make meaningful connections with friends, acquaintances, and my extended community. I have found the road to creating my own network of local peers and colleagues very hard at times, as not only is my whole family still in South Africa, but my qualification and experience is not widely known by those that grew up in Australia. 

I am proudly Neurodiverse, with a recent diagnosis of ADHD and being on the Autism Spectrum. I am a strong advocate for neurodiversity in all aspects of life, especially for children, including my own. I am passionate about Visual-Led Education and am always thinking of ways to create new and unique projects, or to identify a problem that can have a visual solution. I live by the motto “I do well when I can”, and want to continue using my creativity and unique skill set as a platform to communicate inclusion, compassion, empathy, and finding a place to belong.

New collection.

‘Colour outside the lines’

Please enjoy some of my favourite art pieces that I have created over the last 5-10 years. This includes The Community-led Illustrations I did during the Pandemic, some Commissioned Pieces, My 2021 Artist In Residence Project at Ardeer Primary School, and a heartfelt nod to my South African family and heritage through Illustrations of the glorious King Protea.

All work is available as Fine Art Prints, printed with Archival Inks, and carefully wrapped and sent straight to you.

Melbourne Freelance Artist.

I have worked in the creative industries of graphic design, advertising, and illustration for over 25 years. I apply my art to corporate branding and publishing, to community incentives and art commissions. Contact me today to discuss your next project or arrange a viewing of my work at my studio.