I didn’t start creating because I had something to say,I started because I had something to survive,and art was the only place it could live
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
I’m a multimedia artist creating work that lives between reality and imagination. I’m drawn to moody palettes, surreal shifts, and emotional depth, blending realism with abstraction and texture.
Where do you find inspiration?I work as an artist-in-residence in a memory care community, where art becomes less about the final product and more about connection, presence, and engagement. That experience constantly reminds me that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful, it just has to be honest. Whether I’m creating for a gallery or in a shared space with others, my goal is the same: to make work that invites people in, makes them feel something, and maybe helps them see a familiar world in a different way.
What would you do with $25,000?I would invest in expanding into a large-scale, immersive body of work exploring resilience, identity, and rebuilding. This support would allow me to push scale, materials, and installation while bridging my studio practice with community impact, creating spaces that invite reflection, connection, and shared experience. After losing everything in Hurricane Helene my work is rooted in rebuilding after loss, and what it means to move forward.
Vote for Shea Abramo to become The People's Artist while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting The Art of Elysium in their mission to use art as a catalyst to help people triumph over difficult life challenges.
Colossal is a nationally registered professional fundraiser that inspires people to advocate for themselves and those in need. Through online competitions like The People's Artist, Colossal offers participants the opportunity to make their mark while also making a big impact.
