Little Brains
Exploring consciousness through the language of plants and bodies.
Elise Rise (b. 1993, Richmond, VA) is a Brooklyn-based painter whose work explores consciousness through the connection between people and plants. Her paintings mix photorealistic detail with the fantastical, expressed through unexpected juxtapositions and luminosity.
Rise graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Art & Archaeology and Visual Arts. Her background in art history informs her interest in how artists through the ages have navigated questions of identity and meaning. In 2025, she left a career in marketing to paint full time.
In April 2026, Rise presents Seeds Are Little Brains at New Gallery in Brooklyn, NY — her most cohesive body of work to date.
“Her paintings probe the ways in which social media and storytelling platforms shape our thoughts, actions, and our bodies.”
Bold Journey — December 2025Upcoming &
Recent Shows
Seeds Are Little Brains
New Gallery · Brooklyn, NY · April 4–18, 2026
Nude
Psychic Readings Gallery · New York, NY
Worlds Aglow 2
The Factory LIC · Queens, NY
Blue Light
New Gallery · Brooklyn, NY
Burning Man, Man Pavilion
Black Rock City, NV
Courtyard Marriott, Reno
Permanent Collection · Reno, NV
Courtyard Marriott, Reno
Permanent Collection · Reno, NV
Frederick Barnard White Grant
Princeton University
Grace May Tilton Prize in Fine Arts
Princeton University
The Lawrence P. Wolfen ’87 Arts Grant
Princeton University
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About Work
For inquiries about available paintings, exhibitions, commissions, or press, please reach out.