Cheyne Ellett

Cheyne Ellett was born in Torrance and received a B.F.A. in Illustration from California State University of Long Beach (CSULB). His visual language centers around being bold and playful at the same time. Cheyne is influenced by the local imagery and music culture he encountered around him growing up in the city of Pomona.

Although Cheyne’s work is bright and seemingly cheerful, there is a dark uncanny that seeps out from its cracks. Cheyne is focused on the concepts of fragmented identity, social systems/structures, power dynamics, survival mechanisms, and personal growth. The driving force of Cheyne’s work is his wonder in the perseverance of the human spirit when facing insurmountable odds. This bitter-sweet reality is reflected as his colorful yet fictional utopian characters occupy the same space as the dark seeping reality.

Cheyne’s work regularly flexes and swings between cartoonishly tight and playfully loose as he works to understand the world around him. His educational background in editorial illustration has made for a unique skill set that allows him to work in a variety of media, scales, and modes across his practice.

Cheyne also recently illustrated the new illustrated 2022 community map for the Rose Park neighborhood association!